Young Messed Up and Romantically Confused: Book 2
by LizLemonnumber2
Summary: FINALLY - a new sequel from YMURC Book 1! Read Book One before you jump into Book 2! We'll see what Gen and Ana have been doing in the last seven years!
1. Chapter 1

**Young Messed Up and Romantically Confused: Book 2**

I know this is a little unconventional, but I am starting over with this new book. I am keeping some things similar, but overall – this will be a brand new book. Hopefully, there has been enough time that: 1) some of you still remember the first book (it's still posted if you need a refresher!), and 2) you forget what I wrote for the second book (lol). This will take place seven years after the first book. 

How this will work – I will show us five years into the future, and then I am going to go back and show how we got to that point. You know, my usual MO. lol

Enjoy! I don't own FSOG but the new characters and the insanity is all mine.

**Chapter 1 – Five Years After Book 1 **

**Ana**

** I need to keep myself busy. **If I stop for a second, I am pretty sure I'll break down. I will lose my mind if I stop moving. I can't think about today, and what it means for my family - it's too much right now.

"Mama," I hear a tiny voice across the house, "Mama, come here…"

I look up and find my baby girl smiling at me through railings of our stair case. "Sweet girl, we need to find Aunt Genevieve."

"Ok, I'm coming…." She says as she grabs the railing and walks herself down the stairs. She is getting so big, I can't believe it. I smile to myself and meet Josephine halfway. Joey is going to keep me sane today. My baby girl just turned five and she is the spitting image of my husband. She is sweet, and perfect, but can throw a fit with the best of them.

I sweep her into my arms, and we make the trek outside. I'm afraid of what I'll find in my outside apartment, but hopefully Josephine's presence will force Gen to be mellow and calm. I knock on the door and hold my breath.

"Aunty Gen!" Josephine yells, "Let us in!"

I snicker as I kiss her cheek. Gen opens the door and forces out a smile. "Hey baby girl…"

I take in Gen's appearance and I instantly feel anxiety flow through me. She is dressed and ready for her "meeting" this afternoon. Her brown hair is pulled up into a tight bun, and is dressed in a white lacey skirt with a maroon button top. If I didn't know what she was about to do, I'd say she looked good. _Fuck, I don't want this for her._

Joey squirms and I set her on her feet. Genevieve nods for me to follow her inside and Jo and I follow without question. I look around the apartment and notice suitcases and boxes everywhere. She has been here for three weeks, and I am surprised she hasn't moved along the process of moving in.

"Do you want some wine?" Gen asks as she shuffles through her cabinets.

I shake my head and sigh. "Christian and I are trying to have another baby…. I can't drink." I have had a lot of trouble getting pregnant in the last seven years, and I don't know why. It's frustrating to be stuck without answers. Josephine was a miracle, and I'll always be thankful to be the mother of one beautiful and perfect child. After seven years of waiting and miscarriages, we want another child and I hate that I can't provide that for my husband. "And I am getting older…. That's not good."

"Seriously," Gen deadpans, "Drink for me…."

"Fine," I concede, "Not a lot though…."

She nods and practically fills my glass to the brim. She hands me my glass and fills hers. We don't clink, and Genevieve practically chugs down the glass. Her emotional state isn't great right now, but I still have to ask the questions.

"Have you talked to Hayden?" I ask as she goes for another.

"She won't talk to me," she chokes out, "She blames me for everything…. And fuck, I don't blame her."

I instinctively look around to find my daughter. She is happily playing in Aunt Gen's suitcases and is completely oblivious to our conversation. I turn back to Gen and she shakes her head.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's fine…. I get it but if you're going to cuss…. Not so loud."

Hayden's seventeenth birthday is approaching, and she has seen everything that has gone on in the deterioration of Genevieve and Elliot's relationship. I feel for her, those two have been to hell and back and Hayden has been through everything with them. When Elliot and Gen are good, it's great. When they're bad, it is World War 2. Rocky is seven and Ireland is six months older then her cousin Josephine, and they're less aware of what is happening.

I place my elbows on the counter and look into my sister's eyes. "What about Rocky and Ireland?"

"Since I don't have a place that can accommodate my three kids, Elliot's lawyer doesn't want to give me my time with them…."

I scoff, "We can open up the two rooms in the back for Hayden and Rocky and we can move in one of Joey's beds for Ireland."

"He is just looking for ways to hurt me," Genevieve squeaks out, "He is so mad at me."

"Well… you have done a lot of stupid shit," I tell her bluntly.

"Thank you Ana…." She bites out.

"I'm sorry Gen, but we aren't twenty one anymore," I tell her with a shrug, "You have screwed up but you refuse to beg for forgiveness."

"I know he won't take me back," she bites out, "He doesn't want me anymore."

I shake my head at her. She has allowed herself to believe this over the years, and it's just not true. She is turning into the victim, and I am sick of it. He wants her and he still loves her, but he's not going to put up with her bullshit any more. I really don't blame Elliot for finally standing up for himself.

I hear a knock at the door, and my husband steps through. "Daddy!" Josephine squeals as she runs into his arms.

He kisses her on the top of her head and picks her up. "The car is here," Christian says, focusing solely on me. My heart breaks when he won't look at Gen. They've always had the best relationship and this whole situation with Elliot has torn them a part. I didn't realize how loyal Christian was to Elliot until his relationship with my sister blew up.

"Ok baby…. we'll be out there."

He nods and walks out the door with Joey in his arms. My relationship with Christian is a little strange at the moment. With our failures to have a second child and Elliot and Gen's impending divorce, we aren't in the best spot right now. Things aren't bad, they are just weird.

"I don't want to do this," Gen says under her breath.

"Then don't…."

"Ana," she chokes out, "Stop saying we can salvage this… your words are only breaking my heart. Stop it."

I shake my head and get myself ready to spill what has been sitting on my heart for months. "I have known him for a long time and I know how he feels about you. He is upset with you. He is hurt because he loves you so damn much. You can fix this. It won't be easy, nobody is going to point a magic wand and fix everything, but you can fix it if you work your asses off. So quit playing the victim and quit acting like you're the wounded one…. Grow up and fix your marriage."

"That is so fucking hypocritical," she yells at me, "Who was the wounded one all those years ago when you and Christian broke off your engagement and you ran away to New York…. He did nothing, but you were still the victim. You were fucking afraid and that's what I am dealing with right now so quit acting like I am the fuck up…."

"I'm done," I snap as I stand up to leave, "I've been trying to help you out and you're acting like an ungrateful bitch. No wonder Elliot kicked you out…."

Tears are pouring down her face, and I instantly feel terrible for offering up such a low blow. "Well then after this happens today, maybe I should move out…."

"Gen, no…" I plead, "I'm sorry…"

She moves around me and walks for the door. "Whatever," she huffs, "Well…. I guess I am going to go do this alone. I don't have friends, I don't have a mother…. And apparently I don't have a sister. Don't even bother coming with me today."

"Genevieve," I plead with her, "Please…"

She walks out the door before I am able to say another word. I am dumbstruck, and I have no idea how to handle this. I take in a deep breath and move for the door. My natural inclination is to hold my sister and help her through her problems, but I just can't right now.

It looks like Genevieve is on her own today…. And the idea of me not being able to protect her is tearing me a part.

**Ten minutes after Genevieve leaves, Elliot shows up with me nieces and nephew. **When I see Elliot get out of the car, I know that I am right. My beautiful brother in law looks absolutely devastated. He comes in with Ireland in his arms and immediately places her on the floor. Rocky runs in and immediately jumps into my arms. I squeeze him tight as he chatters on about the presents that daddy bought him yesterday. Hayden follows behind everyone and she looks like she has been crying for hours.

"Hey El," I say as we finally hug.

"Hey…." He says with a nod. Elliot shakes Christian's hand and turns back to me. "Ireland isn't feeling too well so just watch her and make sure it doesn't get worse…. She'll probably want to take a nap at some point."

"Good…. Joey will be more willing to nap if Ireland does."

He nods and all three of us immediately turn to Hayden. She is sitting in the living room, looking so lost and upset. "Help her today," he asks me, his voice cracking with emotion, "I just don't know what to do with her…. She's so upset. She has been like this for weeks."

"We all are…."

"No shit," Elliot says, shaking his head. H freezes and takes a sharp breath. "How is she?"

My heart breaks at the emotion behind that question. He does still love her, I know it. "She's a mess…. I don't know how else to describe it."

He nods and tries to shield his face. "Well…. I guess I need to go."

"Did you find a lawyer?"

Elliot nods, "A buddy of mine from High School is representing me. He didn't know her so I think he'll be good. I want my lawyer to keep the emotion out of it."

Basically, he doesn't want to be bitter when they figure out the logistics of their divorce. He is looking out for her, even after everything she has done to them. It makes me love him even more. He moves across the room to hug Hayden and say goodbye to Rocky and Ireland.

Elliot holds Hayden and she bursts into tears. The sight breaks my heart. Christian wraps his arms around me and I burrow my head into his chest.

"I'm sorry," he whispers in my ear.

"For what?" I ask through my tears.

"For everything," he says as he kisses the top of my head, "I know things have been weird between us, but I never want us to get to the point of no return…."

"They aren't at the point of no return…." I interrupt him.

"I hope you're right…." He says with a sigh. Hayden continues to cry in Elliot's arms and Elliot looks like he is seconds away from losing it himself. He can't lose it; he has to meet with their lawyers in an hour. "Always talk to me baby."

"And always make time for us," I add.

"Always make time for us…." he repeats. I hold him closer and silently pray that even in the midst of all this chaos, we can still keep those vows to each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all of the responses from the last chapter! I love that my followers from the first book and _book 2 1.0_ are staying loyal and following me on this new unconventional journey! You guys are the best!

Thank you everyone for all of your support. I don't own FSOG – just the insanity is mine.

**Chapter 2 – The Good Times **

**Ana**

** "I think I felt her kick," Gen says as she places her hand against my belly. **

"Oh my god, stop it," I laugh at her, "Seriously…"

Genevieve sits back in her lounger and smirks at me. "I miss being pregnant…."

"Seriously?" I snicker, "You were pregnant two months ago and you did nothing but complain. How could you possibly miss it?"

She sighs overdramatically, "Now that I know me and El are done… it makes me kind of wish we could have another one."

"You're ridiculous," I say, rubbing my six month pregnant belly, "Speaking of men… where are our men?"

This week, Elliot, Christian, Genevieve, and are at Christian's beach house in California. Rocky and Hayden are spending the week with Grace while Ireland and a full time Nanny are with us in a different part of the house. Elliot has encouraged Genevieve to relax and take time for herself since giving birth to their third child and having Ireland and a Nanny in California is a compromise between the two of them.

As for me, I am six months pregnant and I know this will probably the last trip I'll be on for a while. I've enjoyed myself. I have been nothing but get pampered by my man and family, and I am relaxed and happy. My art museum and school is practically running itself these days, and I have turned into the quintessential (pregnant) trophy wife. As tired and sore as I am, I really can't complain about any of it.

"They're probably frolicking on the beach like nerds," I say as Genevieve giggles.

"Well… I want to celebrate something with you," Gen says with a cheery grin, "I've been holding off on announcing it because it wasn't final but I just got the call after I put down the baby for the night…."

"What?" I ask as she pours me orange juice into a champagne glass. She pours champagne with a little bit of orange juice for herself.

She looks up at me and smirks. "I got my book deal."

My mouth drops. "Are you serious?"

She squeals in a un-Gen like manor. "I've been waiting for this for so damn long…. I am no longer the underpaid English teacher…. I am moving on up… just like the Jefferson's."

"I am thrilled for you," I say as we hug, "You know, in a past life…. I was a book editor."

She cackles, "You're a damn good museum manager or whatever the hell you do for a living…."

"Museum Manager? I prefer art educator of the masses…."

"Whatever," she says, shaking her head, "All that matter is that I am no longer the fuck up who had a child in high school. I am an author; I have the best damn husband in the world, and three awesome kids. Life is finally perfect."

Mother-like pride swells through my body. It feels amazing to see Genevieve reach this point. When we were alone, and poor, and trying to figure out how to take care of a baby girl, I wasn't sure either of us would be able to see success. Now that we're here, it feels really damn good.

I rub my belly and she smiles at me. "It's about time you got a little girl of your own. No more taking care of children you didn't create yourself."

I smile and sip my orange juice. "I just never thought we'd get here…" I say, choking on my words.

She leans over and kisses my forehead. She squeezes my hand and shakes her head. "Anastasia Grey…. Are you getting sappy on me?"

I know she is getting emotional too, so I just smile at her. We both know how big of a moment this is, and we both know that we've made it. Pregnancy hormones surge through me and I wipe away the tears rolling down my face.

Gen kisses my forehead and sighs contently. "I didn't mean to make you cry prego…"

"Yes you did," I say with a chuckle, "But I'm good…"

At just the right moment, I hear the sounds of our husbands moving our way. Before they left to go play football on the beach (yes, Christian Grey went to go play football on the beach, I was surprised too), they chugged down a few Mexican beers so I am curious as to what I am going to find when they return.

"We have got to go inside," I hear Christian yell from a mile away, "Thunder is rolling in…."

"Thunder?" my ears perk up. I walk past Christian and Elliot and make my way down the beach. It looked like we might have bad weather earlier today, but I didn't notice the storm completely roll in while Gen and I were talking.

I close my eyes as the wind blows past me. Storms and severe weather have a smell, a very potent smell. I don't know why the smell of storms always makes me this way; it's probably why I love Seattle so much. The smell of humidity and sea salt is always in the air. I love that damn smell.

Or maybe it's because it brings me one of the few remaining memories left of my parents….

**Ana – 30 ish Years Earlier **

** "Ray," Mommy yells for Daddy, "What the h-e-l-l are you doing out there?" **

Daddy still stands outside, watching the storm pass through. Gen and I were playing in the sand just five minutes ago at grandma's house before the storm came. Grandma is stuck in town while Mommy, Daddy, Gen, and I are stuck in the grandma's house. Gen curls into Mommy's lap, too afraid of the storm to watch any of this happen. I kiss my baby sister on the cheek, and move for the door.

"Anastasia… where are you going?"

"I wanna stand with Daddy," I tell her.

"No ma'am, you get back over here…." Mommy warns.

I shake my head and walk outside, hearing my mother scream for me as I leave her. I run across the sand, feeling the wind pass through my hair. I grab Daddy's hand when I reach him and he looks down at me with shock.

"What are you doing out here?" he asks with a smile.

"I wanna stand with you… "

He leans down and picks me up. "You're stubborn," he says, shaking his head, "Just like me…."

I giggle and watch the wind blow and the sea shake. "Why are you out here?"

He shrugs, "I don't know…. The smells, the sights…. It relaxes me?"

"Daddy, it's a storm," I giggle, "Genevieve looks like she might cry. Storms aren't relaxing."

He turns to look back at the house. "One more minute and then we go back outside…"

"One more minute," I repeat.

I squeeze close to my Daddy and enjoy the storm for one last minute. It's kind of pretty and cool out here.

**Ana**

** "What the fuck are you doing out here?" Christian screams through the loud wind, "Anastasia…. Get your ass back in the house."**

I snort, "You always have such a way with words baby."

He moves next to me and stares at me like I am insane. "What are you doing?" His words are a bit calmer, but I can still tell how uneasy he is about me standing in the middle of a wild storm.

"When I was five… my Dad held me while a storm was hitting at my grandmother's house," I tell him, still staring out into the rain, "And I've always held on to that memory."

My parents are sacred ground, and I know he's not going to say anything despite how frantic he might feel right now. He pulls me to his side and he holds me for several more minutes.

"Anastasia Grey," Gen yells from the house, "You get your pregnant ass back in here…"

"And Gen was the reason Dad and I came in when we were out here together the last time…." I grumble.

"Come on…. This is freaking me out," Christian says as he grabs my hand, "This is as much as I can take…."

**Despite his frantic and protective state, Christian Grey is very drunk. **Elliot is also very drunk, and they're both very entertaining. Gen and I are giggling like fools at their antics.

"Cheers," Elliot says, pouring each of us another drink, "To my badass wife… who just got the deal of a life time."

"A nonalcoholic drink for my wife please," Christian says as Elliot nods in annoyance.

"I know not to give my pregnant sister-in-law alcohol," he grumbles, "I'm not an idiot."

"No… but you've drank a lot tonight," he snaps back. They fight like good brothers for a couple minutes, and I enjoy being around my family in this fun, drunken moment.

"I hate that I can't drink with you guys…."

"I'm stopping," Christian says, holding his hands out in consent, "You've pushed way too many beers through me, brother…"

"HA," Elliot scoffs, "You're such a light weight."

"So when do you get started?" I ask Genevieve, needing to get away from the Grey brothers fighting, "What Publishing house are you with?"

"Seattle Independent Publishing," she tells me, "And I got one of their best editors…. Brian Irving."

I don't know much about publishing, but Brian has a really good reputation around town. "I am so excited for you…. Brian is good."

The boys keep bickering like little girls and we continue our conversation. "So what is this book going to be about?" I ask, very interested. She has been trying to get this book deal for a while, but I am not sure what exactly she wants to publish.

"It's basically my life in print…. With the characters changed and a few other modifications. Brian loved it."

"Let's go to bed," Elliot says, trying to cuddle with Gen, "I want to go to bed…."

"Good lord… alcohol always makes him horny…." Genevieve giggles.

"You make me horny baby," Elliot growls in her ear, "The baby is asleep and I want to play…."

Genevieve leans over to kiss me on the cheek and says good night to Christian. As soon as we finish our good nights, Elliot swoops her over his shoulder and they're gone to their room with a giggle. In a not so dramatic exit, Christian helps me out of my chair and walks me up the stairs.

When we make it to the master bedroom, Christian lovingly takes off my sandals and begins massaging my feet.

"I think I love you," I sigh contently, "Did you have fun today?"

He moves to my other foot and kisses my toes. "My brother is an idiot…."

"But you love him," I tell him.

"I do. We had fun today. It's been a while since I've let loose like that."

"I'm glad…" I say, molding my body into our big bed. Christian lovingly kisses my belly and everything feels so perfect. I am a lucky girl.

Christian was hesitant at first about having a baby. He was nervous and anxious about the idea of being a father considering his past and how he came into the world. He was and continues to be afraid that he'll fuck up our child. When he finally saw our child during our first sonogram appointment, he easily got on board with the idea. He is so protective and loving; I don't see how he could be anything but the perfect father. I am trying my best to reassure him every day that I am so proud to have a baby with him. I am so proud that he is the father of my daughter.

"What do you remember about your parents?"

I try to sit up and stare at him for a second. "What is this about?"

He sighs, "It's just rare that you talk about them…. So tonight was kind of a surprise."

I nod, "Being eight when they passed away, I didn't have a lot to remember them by. But I just remember Mom being the firm and structured one…"

"So that's where you get it…"

I reach across the room and try to smack him. He leans over so I am able to hit his shoulder. "I had to raise two children before I was even close to being pregnant with my own…"

He nods, "I know …. tell me about your Dad."

I lie back down and search my memories for anything to give him. "He was a little crazy…. He liked standing outside during storms…. And feeding us ice cream on a school night…. And going on adventures. Basically, the male version of Genevieve."

"Without you…. She would have never been able to raise Hayden as well as she did," Christian adds.

"She would have figured it out eventually, but we did make a good team…."

He lies down on the bed next to me and I curl up next to him. "We are two un fun parents," Christian murmurs.

My jaw drops open and I kiss him on the cheek. "What are you talking about?"

"We're both too serious…. Joey will like Aunt Gen and Uncle Elliot a lot more than Mommy and Daddy."

I am overwhelmed by his sadness and sincerity over the thought. "Baby…. she's going to love us."

He kisses my forehead and shakes his head. "It's the law… you need one serious parent and one fun parent… it makes the parenting world go round."

I run my hands up his chest and into his hair. "What you don't understand is that I don't always like being the serious one, but that's all I've ever been. With you…. I am free to be a fun Mommy."

"Really?" he asks, his voice full of disbelief.

"I've always been the person to take care of other people…" I try to explain to him, "You now get to take care of us. I've never had that. You have no idea what that means to me…"

"God," he breathes, his voice thick with emotion, "You're perfect. I love you so much."

We kiss and kiss until we're both breathless. Once I am too tried to keep my eyes open any longer, I curl into his side and fall asleep peacefully.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – On the way down **

**Two Years and Six Months Later **

**Ana**

** I do not know how Gen and Elliot do this on a daily basis. **I can't remember the last time I baby sat for my sister and brother-in-law and tonight I have the duty of looking after four children. I want one more child with Christian, that's it. Having three or four children is rather excessive and feels like a zoo.

I got this gig because Elliot and Gen are both working late, and Christian is out of town on business. I didn't want to be home alone with the baby, so I offered to play nanny for my nieces and nephew. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal especially since the oldest child under my care is thirteen and is highly capable of helping me out.

Of course, reality never matches up with one's expectations. Hayden is barricaded in her room and has refused to help me all night. I love my nephew, but I am ninety eight percent sure the child has ADHD, and he is running around the house like the Tasmanian devil. Ireland is acting like a mini-diva, and my mother's intuition tells me that my sweet baby has an ear infection.

"Oh my god," Hayden screams across the house, "What the hell is wrong with Rocky? He needs to shut up!"

"Language, Hayden Carla," I hiss back as Joey bursts into tears. I lean down and pick my baby up, holding her close to me. Hayden looks remorseful and descends the staircase to hopefully help me out. She immediately grabs Rocky and grabs his face.

"Do I need to tie you down?" Hayden snaps at her brother, "You've made your cousin cry…. Go to bed. Take a bath, you smell."

Rocky grumbles as he walks off. Hayden then moves on to her sister and immediately picks her up and walks off. In one fell swoop, the entire house is silent. I am relieved and slightly perturbed that Hayden was too much of a teenager to offer up her services earlier. I really could have used her.

Joey squeezes me tight and whimpers. "Momma…."

I take in a deep breath and move to the couch. Joey's symptoms showed up after dinner so I might be overreacting. It could be something small. I know if Christian was here, he'd immediately call the doctor. I am tempted to go ahead and do that, but I hate putting our wonderful Dr. Banks out of possible time with his own family, even when we can tip him handsomely.

Joey's cries calm down and she relaxes against my chest. I melt into Gen's couch, enjoying my one moment to relax all day. Soon, my eyes close and I very quickly drift off to sleep.

**I pry my eyes open and find Hayden standing over me with Joey in her arms. **I sit up quickly, embarrassed that I fell asleep on the job. She smirks and Joey reaches for me. I take her in my arms and Hayden sits down next to me.

"Don't flip out…." Hayden smirks, "You've had a long day so you shouldn't feel bad about napping… I got Rocky and Ireland in bed."

"How long have I been asleep," I ask as Joey snuggles next to me.

"Forty five minutes I guess," she says with a cocky smirk, "That's my new record."

I nod, that is impressive, "Well done…."

"What's wrong with my Joey?" she pouts as she gives Jo a kiss on the forehead.

I smirk at her affection for her cousin. Hayden has always treated Joey differently. To me, Hayden has handled Joey in the same way I raised Hayden. It's adorably sweet. Between Hayden's growing bad attitude and her teenage tantrums, it's nice to see the motherly nature that lives deep down inside of her.

"I think she has an ear ache…"

"Poor sweet baby," Hayden says as she reaches for my phone, "Call the Doctor, Nana…."

"It's really late," I say with a shrug, "I can take her in the morning….

"If I call Uncle Christian with that story, what do YOU think he'd say," she says with a confident grin.

Christian would call the doctor for a scrape on her knee, but she does have a point. The earlier I call in the evening, the better for Dr. Banks. I grab my cell phone and dial Sawyer who is probably in the general vicinity of the house.

"I'll call Hayden…. I'll call…."

**As I expected, we need to wait this ear infection out to see if it gets any worse. **The doctor doesn't want to prescribe antibiotic yet, he only wants to if her earache gets worse. Christian is fiercely upset about the doctor's diagnosis. He has argued on the phone with doctor for the last hour about the matter. I wouldn't be surprised to see Christian find a plane today and be home by the morning.

I decide to take matters into my own hands and grab the phone out of the doctor's hand. Dr. Banks takes it without complaint and I feel very sorry for the torture my husband has unleashed on such a nice man.

"Christian Grey."

"Ana Grey."

"Leave the damn doctor alone," I tell him, "I am very capable of watching our daughter and making sure she gets what she needs."

"I understand that…. It's just…. let's call my Mom. I know she's retired but…."

"Your Mom would say the same exact thing, I can guarantee it. She's your baby, I get it. Just calm down, she'll be fine in 48 hours when we make our next decision…. We'll handle this."

He sighs, "Ok."

"Ok? So you'll stop torturing our pediatrician…."

"Yes," he groans with a soft laugh added on the end, "I'm leaving New York in the morning…."

I snicker, "As I expected."

He sighs angrily, "I love you both…. You know that right?"

"Of course, baby…. I do."

As I say goodnight to Christian, Elliot steps through the door. I have been so absorbed with talking to the doctor and dealing with Christian, I didn't realize how late it was. I quickly dismiss the doctor and place Josephine in one of Hayden's old cribs. Hayden drags her half asleep figure across the room to hug her father good night.

"Is Josephine alright?" Elliot asks, his tired eyes full of concern.

"Just an ear ache, but of course with your brother…."

"…. He sends in the National Guard….. I get it."

"I fed them and Hayden put down Ireland and Rocky to bed…."

"Thank you," he says with an appreciative nod. Elliot suddenly looks very concerned, "Where is Gen?"

I turn to the clock and I feel just as confused as Elliot. "Did she say she'd work past eleven?" She has been busy developing the second novel in her young adult series and it is due out at the end of the month. Her books are growing in popularity, and I am very proud of her sudden success.

He shakes his head and sits down next to me. "I mean, I know she is busy with book 2… but I just didn't think she'd work late again."

"Has she been doing this a lot?" I ask, slightly stunned. I am proud of her success, but not calling home when you're working late is unacceptable.

"Yeah…." He sighs, "Fuck."

"It'll be fine…. She's just busy and it'll be fine…."

I am way too tired to come up with anything better right now. He nods in consent and rubs his hands through his hair. He looks tired, and I can tell he misses Genevieve.

"It's really late…. If you pick Josephine up, I'll carry the crib to the guest room," he offers as he stands.

"Thank you," I nod, "El…. Are you ok?"

He nods adamantly, "I'm fine…. I just miss my wife."

**Christian**

** Taylor pulls up in front of the house, and I am relieved to finally be at Elliot's house. **I was practically climbing on the plane when I said goodnight to my wife. I didn't need to be away any longer, it was time to come home. Fuck anyone else who needed me in New York, my family comes first. I realize it is five AM so I use my spare key to Elliot's house to see my way in.

My purpose is to get to my wife and daughter in the guest room, but I am immediately stopped by what I see in the kitchen. Genevieve is slumped over the table, still dressed from the day before. I am not sure what to do. Should I wake her up or should I leave her alone? She looks exhausted.

Genevieve stops my questions and opens her eyes. She examines me for a second and turns to the clock. "Fuck…. Is it two days from now already?"

I snicker, "I came home early…. Jo has an ear infection."

"She does?" Gen asks, her voice groggy, "It's five AM, I need to get to bed. Elliot is going to be pissed"

"Gen," I ask as she freezes, "Why are you asleep on your kitchen table wearing the clothes you wore the day before?"

Her shoulders slump and she sighs deeply, "I'm just trying to live the dream Christian…. I just hope I haven't failed yet…."

**A/N – So yes, I know it's short… but how things have been going with my personal life lately, I am surprised I was able to get this out. I really want to get out another this weekend. I'll try really hard **

**And please remember to review. I don't mean to be a nag, but I got a huge response to start this again but for some reason I'm not getting a lot of reviews now that I am working on it. I would very much appreciate it if you could take the time . Thanks! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Because that's what we do….**

**Genevieve**

** "Mama…. Mama…." I hear a tiny voice next to my ear. **I pry my eyes open and find my baby girl patiently waiting at the side of my bed. With blonde hair and blue eyes, she looks so much like her Dad, it's unbelievable. "Mommy…" she repeats.

"Hey baby," I gruff out. I pull her with me and she snuggles next to my side.

I look around my room, and see no sight of Elliot anywhere. I am suddenly reminded that I came home way too late last night and neither Elliot nor I are working today. That means I have a whole day of awkward moments and fighting with my husband to look forward to. I have no doubts that he'll be livid with me over my actions. I plan on keeping Ireland at my side for as long as possible, he won't yell at me with Ireland in the room.

"Come on I," I hear Elliot's voice down the hall, "We've gotta go to Grandmas…"

I shoot up and Ireland squeezes closer to me. "I don wanna go to Gramma's Daddy…." She yells back out to him.

Elliot bursts into the room and shakes his head. I notice that he won't even look at me as he addresses our daughter. "Don't I, we've gotta go…. Grandma is waiting."

"I wan my Mommy," she says, pouting like a pro. She holds tight to me, and it hits me that I have been gone a lot lately. I would love a day of just lying in bed with my babies and watching movies. I have a strong feeling that Elliot is not going to give me that.

"Can't we just stay home today?" I suggest nervously, hoping Elliot doesn't blow up at me.

"No," he snaps, still not looking at me, "Mom is waiting…. Rocky is ready and Ireland needs to come now."

Defeated, I pick Ireland up and walk her to her bedroom. Elliot already has her bags packed and waiting on her bed, so I search for a good outfit that I can dress her in. I am terrified because I know what Elliot is doing. He is sending the kids to Grace so he can have a day with me to talk. We've done this at least three times in our marriage and it's usually a draining weekend. Every time, we make progress in whatever the problem is, but it's still a painful journey.

"I wan you Mommy," Ireland whines as I finish putting on her dress. I kiss her forehead and inhale her sweet baby girl scent.

"I know baby…. I miss you too…. But you'll have fun with Grandma." I pick her up and hold her close. Seconds later, Rocky enters the room.

"Mommy," he beams, "I don't want to go to Grandma's…. I want to stay home with you." I hold Rocky with my other arm and kiss the top of his curly mop of a head. Fuck…. I really have missed so much.

"I love you too baby."

"We've gotta go," I hear Elliot's voice through the hallway, "Let's go." I encourage my kids out the door. Elliot gathers their bags as I walk them through the door and on to Grace.

Grace's sweet smile is a sight for sore eyes. Some women are afraid of their mothers-in-law, but mine is the best. Even when Elliot and I fight, she still loves me and doesn't take sides. She is so good to Ana and me. "Well there is my sweet and successful daughter-in-law."

"That's very sweet, thank you Grace."

Despite her resistance earlier, Ireland immediately goes to Grace. "I've had a good day…. I checked out Josephine's ear ache this morning, and now I get Ireland and Rocky for the rest of the weekend…."

I totally forgot about Josephine's ear ache. "How is she?"

Grace scoffs, "Christian was overreacting as usual…. But she'll be fine. Josephine just needs some rest and she'll be good as new."

Rocky used to get ear aches all the time, they are painful and it's hard to see your baby in that much agony. I feel for Ana right now. "I'm glad…"

I say my goodbyes to Rocky and Ireland and Grace hugs and kisses Elliot on the cheek before she gets in her car. I shake my head and smile to myself. Elliot is Grace's baby boy, and I am sure she'll still baby him until he's sixty. I didn't understand that until I had Rocky.

When the car exits our driveway, Elliot moves to my side.

"Where is Hayden?" I ask, figuring he made a plan for her for the day.

"With Ana and Christian… " he says, grabbing my hand, "Come…. We need to talk."

**Elliot **

** I don't know where to begin with her. **I don't want to be unsupportive – I am completely supportive of her dream. She is immensely talented and shouldn't be wasting away at a job she doesn't love. I want what's best for her – I love her.

When she started her book series, life wasn't like this. She had just given birth to Ireland so I built her an office in our home. She worked from home, took care of the baby, and life was so good.

Suddenly, her office from home wasn't good enough anymore. She couldn't concentrate and put out her best work with a growing baby begging for her attention. She had editors breathing down her back, and felt anxious and tense from the stress. From here, she started spending half her time at home and half of her time at an office in town that she rented to work. She slowly started working at her office in town full time and hired a nanny to take care of Ireland during the day. This has been going on for month. I have needed to stop this when it began, and I haven't. I've had enough and I want to set her straight today. I want my wife back.

I make us breakfast while Gen jumps in the shower. I try to keep calm, I don't want to make her mad or freak her out. I want her to know how much I love her, and how much I miss her. I don't want my message to get lost amidst any emotion of the day. When it comes to my relationship with Genevieve, I get emotional because she means that much to me.

As soon as I finish up, Gen comes out with her brown hair wrapped up in a bun and baggy sweats. I place eggs and pancakes at her chair and she smiles appreciatively. Since she was out late last night, I fill a big mug of coffee and take a seat next to her. We eat our breakfast in silence, both aware of the elephant in the room hanging over us as we eat. I am not sure where to start with her.

As we finish up, I lean over and kiss her forehead. I don't know what else to do. I love her, but I am so angry with her right now. I take her dishes and begin cleaning up. She joins me and we clean the kitchen together quietly. After everything is done, she makes herself another cup of coffee and sits in the living room. I take a seat next to her and grab her hand.

"I miss you," I finally choke out, "I know this book series means the world to you…. But Gen, I miss you."

She nods and sadly smiles. "I was holding Ireland and Rocky…. And I felt like shit. I miss my babies so much. I haven't been around at all."

So she doesn't miss me? "What am I, chopped liver?"

She rolls her eyes, "You know what I mean."

I know what she meant; I just like to hear her say it once in a while. "You need to pull back…. Or go back to working from home."

"Well…."

"What do you mean well," I snap at her.

"I can't right now," she says, taking a sip of her coffee, "I'm on the home stretch with this book and if I stop my pace now…."

Is she fucking kidding me? "So you're full of shit… you don't miss any of us."

"I do, but I can't stop now," she says, trying to control her temper.

"There will never be a good time," I snap at her, "When will it be good? When will this stop?"

"You don't get it Elliot; you have the job of your dreams while I stay home with our kids and work a job that I don't want."

She never told me that she didn't want to teach. She has never expressed that our life has made her unhappy. She only told me that writing was her dream job. If she hated her job, she needed to tell me. I don't want her to work a job that she doesn't want. I want to give her what she wants, but my god- we need to find a happy medium.

"If you didn't want it, then you should have said something to me…"

"That doesn't matter now…. Now I have my dream job. You need to understand - From the moment I got pregnant with Hayden, I had to live for her. I had to grow up really fast and I missed a lot in the process. I never got to be a kid; I never got to go after my dreams. I had to give up so much when I became a mother. Now, I have the opportunity to do something big and something that I have always wanted to do…. I just can't stop it. I have to keep going. We're almost there."

"….Until the next book is out."

She groans and rubs her eyes. "I can't stop…. I'm sorry. I can't lose this opportunity. It won't come around again…."

"Why can't you work here…. What is wrong with the office that I built you?"

"I've told you Elliot…."

"So we can't reach a compromise?" I ask, completely defeated, "We can't reach a happy medium; this is your way or the highway."

"You just have to be patient with this process," she pleads with me, "It isn't going to be like this forever."

When we're eventually pushed into a divorce, of course it will change. I don't express those gut feelings to her, but I still don't like this. I don't like it at all.

"Why can't we reach a compromise? I don't understand why. I miss you Genevieve…. Our kids miss you. We have a two year old daughter who shouldn't be raised by a nanny and we have a son who misses you being home every night and a thirteen year old daughter who needs her mother…. You need to stop being so selfish."

I instantly regret using the word as it rolls out of my mouth. Tears begin to pour down her face and my stomach falls. I reach for her and she immediately pulls back.

"Gen….."

She shakes her head rapidly, "You're right…. I've spent more than half of my life as the mother of your children, I have done nothing but take care of your kids and work and make your meals and do your God damn laundry and be sexually available whenever you want…. So of course, I am selfish. You're right."

"Genevieve, I didn't mean that…."

"Right now I am doing something for me," she sobs, "Something for me for ONCE in my life…. And you can't even understand that."

"Gen, I'm sorry," I say, slumped down in the chair, "I get it…. You know I do. I just miss you. I miss you so damn much baby…."

She sniffles for a little bit longer while I sit and only watch her. I don't know what to do; I don't know where her head is at right now. I want to comfort her, but I need to give her a second.

After several long minutes, she comes to me and curls in my lap. "I'll think of something," she says quietly, "You're right…. I need to be home. I miss you too."

Thank fuck for that. I release the breath that I was holding and squeeze her tighter. She kisses my lips and I wind my free hand in her hair.

Very quickly, she is straddling me while we kiss. I grab her hips as she rubs her hips frantically against my lap. I begin to harden and she picks up her pace.

"I've really missed you," she whispers in my ear, "Being in an office by myself can be really lonely."

We frantically begin pulling clothes off each other and we're instantly naked. I lick and suck at her nipples as she frantically reaches for my hard erection. She slides down me and instantly we're lost in each other. She picks up the pace and slams down on me, and I know this is going to be quick. We haven't done this in a while, and so I know we both want to get to the best part.

"Elliot," she screams, "Fuck."

I feel her walls begin to squeeze around me, and I know she's going to be a goner at any moment. It only takes three more slams of her pelvis before she is coming around me, screaming my name. I follow second later, and I am officially exhausted. I hold her as our breathing dies down.

"We'll figure this out," I tell her, kissing her sweaty skin, "Because that's what we do…."

**Ana – Three Days Later**

** We hadn't talked about this, but I think Christian will be thrilled. **I hope he's thrilled. He was hesitant about our first kid, but now that he is comfortable with being a father, I am sure he'll be thrilled about baby number two. I hope.

I tip-toe into Josephine's room and watch my daughter as she sleeps. This is honestly perfect timing for a second baby. Josephine is two and becoming smarter and more independent by the day. I want to keep my kids close in age like me and Genevieve. I want Josephine to have a buddy and a play mate. Sure, Ireland has been a great buddy to Josephine, but I am excited that she is going to have a little brother or sister.

"Come to check to make sure I did my job?" I hear Christian's smooth voice from across the room.

I turn and smile. "You don't just sit and watch her sometimes?"

He nods and stands next to me. "Of course I do," he says with wonderment in his voice, "She's just…."

"Perfect," I finish his sentiment.

He squeezes my shoulder and we sit in silence for a few more minutes. Moments later, I stand up and Christian takes my hand. I lean over and kiss Josephine on the forehead and Christian leads me into the hallway.

Once the door is closed, Christian holds my body close and I wrap my arms around his neck. He kisses my ear, and my jaw, and then my lips. He leads me to the bedroom and I can't hold back anymore.

"I need to show you something…."

He chuckles, "I want you to show me a lot of things… but I need to get you on the bed first."

"No," I squirm as he kisses my neck, "No, wait here … let me show you."

He grabs my butt as I hurry to the bathroom. I pick up the positive pregnancy test and take in a deep breath_. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this_. Before I turn around and walk back into the bathroom, I turn to find Christian already standing at the bathroom door. His eyes are fixed on my hand.

"What is that?" he asks, his voice soft.

"What do you think it is?"

He takes in a deep breath and he walks toward me. "What does it say?"

I flip it over and a smile fills his face. "You can read…" I joke with him.

"Fuck," he says under his breath as he reads the word "pregnant". I smile because he doesn't say 'fuck' in a negative way. It's a 'I am overwhelmed that I am going to have a second mouth to feed' kind of fuck.

"That was a good fuck, right?" I ask, hoping to confirm my suspicions.

"It's a really good fuck," he snickers as he kisses my forehead, "It's a great fuck".

"Josephine is going to have a little brother or sister…" I beam.

He kisses my lips and I wrap myself around his body. I don't remember the last time I was this happy.

**A/N – Thanks again for the response! You guys are great! Life is busy right now so I'll update when I am able! Please review if you have the time! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N1 – Ok, I wanted to clear something up. The last two chapters have been three years before the present time. So in present time Ireland and Josephine are five and the past, they're two. I had a typo in my last chapter – Since it was three years ago, Hayden is supposed to be thirteen and not sixteen like I initially wrote. If you have any more questions about that, let me know. I time jump a lot and I apologize for that. Lol **

**Thanks again for your responses! **

**Chapter 5 – Lies **

**Present Time **

**Elliot **

** I rub my temples and I try to stay focused on the document in front of me. **I can't believe I am actually looking at my custody agreement with my soon-to-be ex-wife. Genevieve and I have been together for over ten years, and we are finally crashing and burning. I feel like I've been mind-fucked.

I don't want to get divorced. I don't want to be at this point. Even after everything she has done, I still love her. I just can't have a relationship with myself anymore. I can't have a relationship with someone who doesn't want me. She has pulled and pulled away and I can't keep sitting here, begging her to stay with me. I'm mentally exhausted from her bullshit. I am so tried, and I don't have the patience for it anymore. I've been playing this game with her for three fucking years and I quit.

"Fuck," I hiss as I realize that I've slammed my hand down on the table in front of me. I turn to my left and I see Dr. Flynn waiting and smiling at me with clear amusement over my outburst in his eyes.

"What did the table do to you?" he asks with a sardonic smirk.

I shake my head and point to the document it holds. He nods with acknowledgement and takes a seat next to me. "How are you holding up?"

When I initially filed for divorce, Christian immediately introduced me to John Flynn. He doesn't specialize in divorces, but he has been a hell of a sounding board for me these last few months. I really don't know where I'd be without him.

"What is today going to determine?" Flynn asks, nodding at the document.

"They are going to determine if Genevieve has set up an acceptable living situation for the kids," I tell him, "She just moved in with Christian and Ana so I doubt they'll say no."

I was shockingly granted custody of the kids. Genevieve moved out on her own accord and started hopping around the Seattle area, trying to find a place to live. I unapologetically begged her to stay and I suggested that I'd move out. I know that's an "un-ballsy" kind of move, but I didn't want her to move in with_ him_. I would do anything to guarantee that she never saw that douchebag again. It made me sick to my stomach to think of Gen moving in with the man she fucked behind my back. I especially didn't want my kids meeting the asshole. _Fuck_, to think of my daughters calling him "Dad"…. I can't take it. I'd have to destroy another conference room table.

"Have you spoken to her at all?"

I shake my head, "I'm not sure if I could handle talking to her without supervision…."

"That's fair," Flynn nods.

I run my hands through my hair and take a deep breath. "It's actually good that you're here…. I need help with something."

He nods, "Of course…. Anything."

"I want you to take Genevieve on as a patient."

His eyes fly open with surprise. "Really? Are you sure about that? What makes you think she'll agree…"

"Something is going on with her," I tell him honestly, "And today, I am going to Hail Mary it, see if I can manipulate her." Flynn looks confused so I decide I need to clarify. "I think she has a drinking problem…. And I have people ready to back me up on that. So I am going to convince her to do it before we even start today."

"I'll take her on if she agrees…. Definitely," he says with a firm nod, "I would suggest couples counseling before even considering divorce…."

"She wouldn't even entertain the idea…."

Flynn nods, "Ok. Ok. Then sure, if you can convince her to go, I'll take her on…."

**Genevieve **

** I throw on my sunglasses and step out of the car Christian hired for me. **I don't understand why Christian keeps doing this, I have an empire. I don't need my brother-in-law's interference.

If this divorce was happening two years ago, I'd be immediately labeled a gold digger. I didn't sign a pre-nup when I married Elliot, so I would have been in ownership of half his construction fortune. Now, I make three times the money Elliot makes from my very popular book series. I am not trying to say I have more money than Elliot, I am saying that Genevieve Grey…. I mean Steele…. is making her own way without the help of a man.

I shake my head. The thought of me making my way without a man is a laughable thought right about now. I am making my way completely alone. I don't know which thought is worse, getting money from a man or making your own money alone.

When I enter the building, I keep my glasses on and walk in the direction of the conference room. I hope moving in with Ana was enough to be able to see my kids. Even though Hayden doesn't want anything to do with me, I still miss all three of my babies. I really don't blame Hayden. If I was her, I wouldn't want anything to do with me either.

Before I get on the elevator, I get a text message from Elliot directing me to another conference room. I haven't been alone with Elliot since our final fight, and I don't know if I want to be near him now. Even with my anxieties about seeing Elliot alone, I concede to his request. I owe him that much.

When I eventually find where I am going, I immediately enter the conference room and close the door behind me. I turn and face my soon-to-be ex-husband with a deep breath. I don't really know what to make of Elliot's appearance. He looks clean, and polished, and ready to throw me out on the curb. It hurts to look at him.

"Hi," he says with a sad smile.

"Hi," I reply back. I look across the room and see another man sitting and observing us. I remember him immediately, he is Christian and Ana's shrink. I've met him at many of Grace's charity functions. Fuck… Elliot brought a shrink? Is he going to sanitize me before he throws me out?

"Listen, Gen…. I want to talk before we go in there."

I turn my attention back to Elliot. "What could you possibly want to talk about?" I ask.

He takes in a deep breath, like he needs to summon a little bit of courage for this. "I know you moved in with Christian and Ana and that's really great…. But I need one more thing before I can let you have full custody."

I blink and try to pick the correct emotion for this moment. "Excuse me? Let me?"

"You have a drinking problem, Gen."

"What?" I practically gaps, so shocked I can barely speak.

"I don't know when it started…. I think it might have begun before you even cheated on me." I hold back a sob as he continues. "But it's getting worse. It's getting a lot worse, and I am scared for you."

"I don't have a drinking problem…." I mutter to myself, still stunned by his accusations, "And if I did…. You don't have proof."

"Fine, let's pretend that you don't have a problem and I don't have proof. You still need to see someone. I still want you to go to counseling."

"Is that why he is here?" I blurt out as I point to Flynn, "Do you want him to take me away in a straitjacket or something?"

Flynn snorts, "Yes… you got me. I have a straitjacket waiting down in the van."

If this wasn't about me, I'd laugh at that joke. "Elliot…. I don't need counseling."

Elliot shakes his head in frustration and moves around the table. Surprisingly, he grabs my face and forces me to focus on him. "Look at me," he says gently, "I know we've been through a lot of shit over these past few months, and I have tried to hate you, but I just can't. I still love you. My friends tell me I should hate you and burn all of your shit, but I can't do that. For some unexplained fucking asinine reason, I still love your fucked up ass and I want you to work through whatever crap you're dealing with in that beautiful head of yours."

How the fuck can he still love me? I try to hold back everything, but I am hopeless. A tear falls down my cheek and Elliot quickly wipes it away.

"You won't let me in, and that's why we are in this mess…. But you need to let someone in."

As much as I want to fight him, he has a point. I've always believed that anyone can benefit from a little bit of counseling, and since I am doing through a divorce – I definitely can benefit from something. I've been a shitty wife, a shitty sister, and a shitty mother – it's time I did something to not be so shitty.

"At the very least, do it for Hayden, Rocky, and Ireland…."

"Ok," I say with a deep, cleansing breath, "I'll agree to counseling."

Elliot sighs deeply. "Thank you Gen. Thank you." He releases his hold on me, and I stand back, needing a bit of space.

"What were you going to do if I said no?" I ask, curiously.

Elliot shakes his head and encourages me to exit to our meeting. "You don't want to know…."

**Elliot and I officially have shared custody of our kids, and I am set up with my first appointment with Flynn next week. **Our lawyers are still working through all the legalities, but if all goes as it should, I'll officially be divorced from Elliot in three weeks.

I can't deal with any of it.

Instead of going home and telling Ana everything, I am in a taxicab and heading into downtown. I've already texted him so he knows I'll be there any minute. The anticipation is gone. The excitement is gone. Basically, all I want is to shoot the shit with the only person left in my life.

I have a key so I let myself in. I throw off my coat and kick off my heels. I stop at his liquor shelf, and I immediately stop myself. I shake my head and throw Elliot's words out of my head.

"I do not have a drinking problem."

"Keep telling yourself that," his booming voice fills the room, "Sure Gen…. just let yourself in."

J.R. Irving comes into view and I scowl at him. "I texted you…."

He nods, "You did. What are you doing here?"

"My Life is a pile of shit right. I need the company."

J.R. stretches out his arms and I walk to his living room without another word. "Well come on in…. All of us "fucked up" types are welcome here."

**A/N2 – I wanted to do a chapter in the present and my next will be back in the past. Sorry this is so short, but I definitely was not expecting to be able to pull out anything so this is a miracle. Seriously, I've had a ridiculous two days. I promise a longer chapter next time (at least I hope). Let me know what you think! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – Thank you so much for your responses! I have a plan so don't lose faith, I know divorces are rough but I have a plan! I always have a plan! Lol **

**Also – we're back to where we were in Chapter 4 (Three years earlier) in this new chapter! **

**I don't own FSOG!**

**Chapter 6 – Discoveries **

**Three Years Ago/ Genevieve **

** "Why am I finding this out over the phone, Anastasia Grey," I hiss at my sister. **Today, I am at my downtown office for an hour or so before I meet with my editors. If all goes well, I'll be home early. I know Elliot will appreciate me finishing work early. I've been trying really hard to be home at a decent hour.

"You're so busy," Ana huffs, "I never get a chance to see you ever…. I couldn't hold back. I had to tell you!"

"You're having a baby…." I sigh happily. I am so thrilled for my sister. She had to stop her life for me and Hayden, and I am so happy that she is finally creating a family of her own.

"I am…" she says with a happy sigh, "We need to go baby shopping ASAP…"

"Oh absolutely," I say, smiling like an idiot, "When do you go to the doctor?"

"Tomorrow…. Christian is insistent on going with me to everything," she says, trying to sound annoyed with her husband but failing. She loves that bastard, it is so unbelievably obvious. "Hey… sis, I've been meaning to ask you. Is everything ok with you and El?"

As soon as the question falls out of her mouth, Brian Irving enters my office followed by a tall stranger. I give a second look to Brian's companion and I figure out very quickly that the stranger must be related to Brian. The two men look very similar. I really don't want to answer Ana's question about Elliot so I am relieved that Brian has made the trip to my office unexpectedly.

"Hey Ana… I've gotta go. My editor is here. We can talk later."

"Oh," she says, sounding surprised, "Ok… Love you."

"Love you," I reply back as I hang up. "Hi Brian…. it's good to see you. I was actually about to head over to SIP to see you."

"Was that Mr. Grey?" he asks abruptly as he takes a seat.

"Actually… it was my sister. She is having a baby."

Brian Irving is an odd person. He is tall, dark and handsome, but as socially awkward as they come. I've never met anyone quite like him. No conversation is ever normal with Brian Irving.

"A baby… how nice," he says, motioning for his guest to join him, "I actually need to leave Seattle early, I'll be in LA all next week, so I thought we could meet for a second before I left." The stranger coughs, obviously trying to get Brian's attention. Brian snickers and motions to the stranger.

"Meet my brother…. I just hired him to help with the business side of the Seattle Independent Publishing."

"JR," he says, holding out his hand for me to shake, "JR Irving."

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Genevieve Grey," I say with a nod, "What does J.R. stand for? Joining the R…"

"Joseph Ryan," he confirms, smiling wickedly at me, "But nice attempt."

When he smiles, I am captivated by how white his teeth are, and how blue his eyes are. JR looks a lot like his brother, but a bit taller and more muscular. It's obvious that Brian reads books for a living, and JR probably beats the shit out of people for a living.

"JR is here because he is performing background checks on everyone…. Even my authors."

Seriously? "Why do you need to run a background check on me? That seems really strange."

"My brother's screening process is very basic," JR explains, "In this day and age, knowledge is power and I plan on making sure everyone at SIP is protected the way they should be protected."

Brian shakes his head and grunts, "It's stupid…. But that's what happens when you hire your brother who is ex-secret service."

My jaw drops. "The Secret service?"

"I didn't work for the secret service," J.R. explains, rolling his eyes at his brother, "But I have worked security my entire life. You need to protect your business, and I plan on doing that."

"Well, I have no skeletons in my closet so I am an open book," I tell him honestly, "But I need to warn you, my brother-in-law is Christian Grey. He might have some sort of protection on mine and my husband's information."

JR nods, clearly impressed, "An old buddy of mine works for Mr. Grey. I may have a word or two with him before I begin my investigation on you, Mrs. Grey."

"Do your worst Irving," I say with a smirk. A smile creeps across his face, and I turn away, deciding it's probably time to change the subject completely.

**Ana – One Week Later **

** My anxieties about being at the doctor's office alone completely melt away as Christian pushes through the door. **Obviously, he was afraid of being late because he looks winded, like he ran across the city to be here with me. I grab his hand and he kisses me on the forehead.

"Where's Jo?" he asks nervously.

"With your mother…." I tell him, "Why do you look so nervous and why are you so winded?"

He shakes his head and I see frustration written all over Christian's features. "Some fucker from the east coast was taking fucking forever with his shit pitch. Once I realized what time it was, I kicked his ass to the curb."

I smirk, "Thanks for kicking ass to be here."

"No problem…. So what is this appointment for?"

"Well, I took a pregnancy test but I need an appointment to see how far along I am, and how the baby is doing, and all that… I'm really glad you're here. You didn't make it to this appointment when I was pregnant with Jo."

He looks suddenly uncomfortable and I feel very bad for bringing that up again. He didn't take the news of our first baby all too well. He wanted kids, but the actual reality of being a parent shocked him. We had a rough couple months but as I expected, he became the best father to our baby girl.

"Well I plan on being at everything," he says tersely, "I'm not going to miss out again."

I kiss his cheek and squeeze his hand. "Baby, I'm sorry…. I didn't mean to bring that up. We've moved on."

"Regardless," he says with a nod, "I need to make up for my mistakes. We're moving forward."

"Here, here," I say with a smile.

"Anastasia Grey," the nurse says, nodding for me. Thankfully, we're the only people in the waiting room. That's the kind of service you receive when you're a Grey.

Christian smiles and excitedly grabs my hand, leading me gently to our exam room.

**Christian reluctantly gives me a moment to dress for the appointment and joins me once I am ready. **The sonogram technician begins and informs me that she'll be using a Transvaginal Ultrasound since I am so early in my pregnancy. Those words mean nothing to my husband until she pulls out the rather disgusting contraption.

"Does that go?" Christian asks with pure disgust in his voice.

"I'm afraid so," I whisper as she prepares the wand.

"Jesus Fucking Christ," he hisses as she inserts the wand inside of me. Once the wand is inside, the screen pops up and she begins looking critically at the screen in front of her.

I look too and I suddenly get very confused. "I… um…. Don't see anything. What's going on?" I read the pregnancy test correctly, how is there nothing on my screen? I am supposed to be pregnant.

She sighs deeply and turns to us sadly, "Let me go find the doctor."

**A false positive, I had a fucking false positive. **How is this even possible? My husband is Christian Grey; his swimmers would have gotten the job done. The problem lies with me, I'm the issue. The doctor doesn't even need to say the words; I know this is my fault. There is no other plausible explanation.

"The embryo simply did not develop," the Dr. Evans explains, "I'm sorry… this happens." The embryo didn't develop? That sounds way too damn simple.

"Is there something wrong with me?" I ask, unable to talk above a whisper. The last thing I want is to let Christian down because I have an abnormal vagina that is only capable of creating one child.

"Ana, don't be ridiculous," Christian cuts in, "The doctor is right, this happens…."

"We want another child. We love Josephine, but we want her to have a brother or sister, so you need to tell me now how I am going to make this happen," I tell him honestly, "Tell me what I need to do to get the job done."

Dr. Evan's smiles at me, and I know he is making fun of me in his head. I was like this when I was pregnant with Josephine. I am very much a "give me answers now or die a horrible death" kind of a patient. As you can imagine, I was a gem to have in the delivery room.

"We can run a few tests if you'd like to come in sometime this week…. But I am sorry. You're thirty; we still have some time to figure this out. If you were thirty five, we'd need to have a different conversation."

I am only five years away from thirty five, and I know the ability to become pregnant decreases with age. Five years seems like so much time, but it also feels like I am rapidly running out of time in the same breath. I try not to get anxious.

"My wife is in excellent health," Christian chimes in, "Don't worry her about age. Age is moot." I squeeze his hand and smile at my husband, _thank you baby._

"And people with excellent health have infertility problems as well…." He says with a shrug, "I don't know what else to tell you. From your history and from what I see of you now, I don't see any big problems, but that doesn't mean that a roadblock doesn't exist."

**Christian grabs my hand and holds me close as Taylor drives us home. **We've been quiet since the moment I booked my next appointment with Dr. Evans. I am not sure what to say to him. Honestly, I feel like a big fucking failure and I don't want to talk with Christian about any of this.

"Listen," Christian says as he massages my hand, "Don't beat yourself up about this… if it happens, it happens."

"But I want it to happen now," I murmur, "I hate that I can't give you a second kid…."

"Look at me," he says, holding my face in his hands, "You've given me one beautiful child, and we have ways to make this happen if there really is a problem. You are not allowed to see yourself anything less than perfect. I won't allow it. You're my wife, and I love you desperately…. I love our daughter desperately and I will love any other kid we have desperately…."

I nod, conceding despite my anxieties, "Ok."

"Do you want to go into work?" he asks, changing the subject. I shake my head, feeling like Josephine when she doesn't get her way.

"I wanna call Gen…." I huff.

Christian leans over to grab my hand. He kisses my fingers and sighs contently. "Alright baby, whatever you want…."

**Genevieve **

** As I am wrapping up work for the day, I hear a faint knock on my door. **I turn around and my mouth drops when I see JR Irving standing and waiting for me at my office door. It's been nearly a week since he has graced me with his presence so I am slightly shocked to see him.

"Hey, I know it's late… but do you have a second?" he asks as I re-take my seat.

"What's going on?" I ask.

He looks uncomfortable as he pulls a few files from his brief case. He sifts through them and nods uncomfortably. "I've completed your background check and I found…. An abnormality."

"An Abnormality?" I ask, slightly stunned. What the hell is he talking about?

He nods, "Yeah, but before I explain I need to ask, what are the names of your mother and father?"

"Carla and Raymond Steele," I answer.

"Shit," he hisses under his breath, "Listen, so I was looking through their records and yours and I ran across an issue…."

"What issue?"

"Carla Steele's Blood Type is A and Raymond Steele's blood type is O…."

I was not expecting him to talk about blood types. "You can find that information on a background check?" I ask, still very confused.

He ignores my question and continues, "I wasn't able to get your sister's blood type…. I have no doubts that Christian Grey firewalled all of Anastasia Grey's information but I digress…. In the near future, you may want to ask her what blood type she is."

"Why do you keep going on about blood types? What's going on?"

He stares at me for a second, his eyes scanning me critically. "Are you seriously not catching on? Gen…. do you know your blood type?"

I shrug, "Elliot is A…. and Hayden is AB so that would make me B…. I think that's how that works."

"Gen," he says with a deep sigh, "You're right, your blood type is B. And it is impossible for a mother with type A blood and a father with O to have a child with B…."

"What are you talking about?" I ask without thinking, "What are you saying?"

"Based off the information I found," JR says with a heavy sigh, "Carla Steele is not your biological mother…."

**Ana**

** Christian has done nothing but hover since my doctor's appointment, and I need to get away from him for a little bit. **Soon after I told Christian that I finally got a hold of my MIA little sister, he locked himself up in his study. I love my husband but right now I need some sister time. I feel like I haven't seen her at all lately. I texted Gen before she left the office and I spilled everything about this afternoon's events.

Her only response was: "I'll b there in 15." Even when we're at our busiest, we always make time for each other.

When she walks through my front door, the waterworks begin. I can't control them, and I really don't want to. It feels good to cry and let it all go. In true Genevieve fashion, she busts out the alcohol and listens, never leaving my side for a second. She holds me and tells me everything will be ok.

"It is you and Christian, I am sure you'll find a way to procreate once again," Gen says with a confident nod, "You two have sex more than anyone I know…." I blush and she laughs. "That's not a bad thing," she says with a kiss on the cheek, "I'm proud of you."

"You're proud of me for having lots of sex with my husband?"

"Obviously," she says with a laugh, "It's just good that you have a life. I'll never forgive myself for the way I robbed you of your teenage/early adult years."

"I think our parents dying when we were kids did that Gen," I say, taking a sip of my drink.

She freezes and turns to me. She looks really tired so I know I need to send her home soon. My sister has worked so much lately, she needs to sleep. "Hey…. I have a random question for you."

"Shoot."

"What is your blood type?" she asks.

I laugh, "That's kind of a random question…."

"I warned you ahead of time that this would be a random question."

"Good point," I tell her as I try to remember, "I think…. I think I share a blood type with Mom…. So that would make me A…."

Genevieve nods and continues through the kitchen. "We need Popcorn," she says out of the blue.

"Gen, what's wrong?" I ask, "Why did you need to know my blood type?"

She shakes her head rapidly. "Don't worry about it….. It was just for curiosity's sake…. That's all."


	7. Timeline

So I thought it might be a good to do a timeline of what has happened so far. I know I like to time jump a lot and I realize that can be a pain so I want to make it easier!

Also, I've probably messed up on the ages and time too so some clarity is always good! I apologize for any confusion!

I also want to announce that I am changing this time span from seven years to only five.

DON'T READ THIS UNLESS YOU HAVENT READ CHAPTERS 1-6…. Spoiler alert!

Book 2 OFFICIALLY starts Two Years and Five Months after Book 1

Genevieve and Elliot are 25

Hayden is 10

Christian and Ana are 27 while Ana is pregnant with their first kid

Genevieve has her book deal and she and Elliot are very happy.

The Next Time Jump is Two years after Ana has the baby

Josephine and Ireland are 2

Genevieve and Elliot are 28, Hayden is 13, Rocky is 5

Christian and Ana are 30

Gen comes home late and she and Elliot have their argument

Several Months Later

Ana finds out she is pregnant but it turns out to be a false positive. From here, Christian and Ana will continue to try for another child

Genevieve meets JR Irving and he does a background check, finding out that Gen has a different mother then Ana

The last two years

We have yet to cover this section. What I can tell you, we'll cover: 1) The final crumble of Gen and Elliot's relationship, 2) Gen's affair, 3) Ana and Christian's baby making tries, 4) Figuring out who the hell Gen's mother is, 5) Ana's professional trials and tribulations …. And a lot more!

Beyond the last two years

How everyone handles what is happening

If you have any questions – let me know! Sorry for the confusion and all the changes, that's my bad! I apologize!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N1 – Just a reminder, I've changed our time frame from five to seven years. Also, we'll be in the past in this chapter (past – Gen and Elliot are still married, but unstable, present – Gen and Elliot are divorced – fyi) **

**Chapter 8 – Jumping forward**

**Genevieve**

** As I wait patiently for my one o' clock meeting, I get my daily sister call from Ana. **It's really quite funny; she calls me every single day now without fail. It's like she knows that she'll never have contact with me unless she calls.

"Where are you right now?" I ask her as I hear Josephine's squeals fill the background.

"The gallery…." She says, "I am thinking about what I want to do with it."

This is a shock, she loves the gallery. I never expected that she'd want to get rid of it. If the gallery was a human, she'd treat it in the same way she treats Josephine. The gallery is her second child. I know she needs a distraction right now; trying to have another baby is stressing her out. I really don't blame her.

JR walks into the room and I know Ana and I will need to finish this conversation later. "Ana…. Can we talk later? My one o'clock is here…."

"Yes, we'll talk later," Ana says as JR walks in and takes a seat, "I am working on something, I'll tell you later…. Love you."

We hang up and I turn my attention to JR. I've been thinking a lot about my family and the past since JR dropped the bomb about my mother. I've been conflicted and angry and confused. I am not sure what to do, or how to proceed. I haven't told Ana or Elliot or anyone about the revelation, I've needed time to think for myself and make my own decisions about this news.

"Hi," he says with a nod, "How are you?"

I smirk to myself. I haven't talked to JR since the revelation, so I had a feeling this conversation might be awkward.

"I'm fine," I say with a nod, "I've done some thinking…."

"Some thinking?" he probes.

I nod, "I've decided that I want you to find my mother for me. Are you able to do that?"

The look of awkwardness on JR's face easily melts away. "Of course I can. I'd be happy too," he says with a quiet nod.

"How long do you think it will take you?"

He shakes his head, "It shouldn't take long. Your circumstances are unique but I think I can handle it and jump around it."

"Thank you," I say, feeling relief and also anxiety over the idea of meeting my mother, "I truly appreciate your help. And I hope you can be discreet about this…?"

"Of course," he says, standing up to leave, "I can absolutely be discreet."

**Ana**

** I quietly watch Josephine color at the table next to my desk as I wait for Chanel. **Christian bought this gallery for me when we got married and I was so certain that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Now, I am not certain what I want to do professionally. I honestly feel a little lost.

I have always worked. From the moment I gained financial responsibility of my sister, that's what I did. I worked. I supported Genevieve and Hayden, and I was the breadwinner. Before my parents died, my Dad told me that "if you find what you love to do, you'll never have to work a day in your life", so that's what I did. I've always worked in the art world and I have loved every minute.

I love art, I've always loved art. Works of art and art history has always been an escape for me. When I felt poor and destitute, I used art as a way to help me feel decadent. I imagined I was rich and my mansion was filled with famous Monet, Degas, and Renoir paintings. It has always made me feel intelligent and well bread, it's helped me feel like I belonged in the world. It's strange, but going from foster home to foster home – it was something I held on to as a source of hope. It's what separated me from the cast of Annie.

I was determined that Genevieve, Hayden, and I would not be the cast of Annie.

Now, I don't know. I'd rather be home with Christian then at the gallery and that terrifies me. I'm not that woman. I am not the woman who sits at home while her husband runs off and makes all the money. The idea sickens me yet, I really have lost it. I've lost the love that I once had for this kind of work. I don't know what to do or where to go. I have a passion somewhere, and I just need to find it again.

Chanel walks through the door and pouts. "I really hope the rumors aren't true," she says with a dramatic pout.

"Chanel!" Josephine squeals.

"Hi baby girl," my long time business partner coos at my daughter. Chanel picks up Josephine and sits in the chair sitting across from me with Jo in her lap. Chanel is my day to day manager, and is invaluable to the running of my gallery. I have no doubts that the new owner I am lining up will definitely keep her on.

"It's true…." I tell her as she pouts.

"But things are going so well here," Chantel protests, "When you added the art classes and art education, we began making more money than any other gallery in Seattle. Everyone takes classes here. Come on, I'm going to miss you."

Josephine wraps her baby arms around Chantel, and I can't help but smile. "I'm sorry Chanel, I really am," I tell her, "But it's time…. my heart isn't in it anymore."

It's terrifying to admit, but I know I'll figure this out. I can have it all. I can have another baby, and I can figure out what I want to do professionally, and it will all be ok. It will all be ok. I just need to keep reminding myself of that.

She takes in a deep breath. "Do you have a new owner lined up, or are you going to sell everything off completely."

It would be stupid to sell off the gallery, even Christian agreed. The gallery is getting new and exciting exhibits every month, and our art education floor is bringing so many new and returning customers. I won't change a thing before I leave.

"No, the new owner is on board."

"Who is the new owner?" Chanel asks, curiously.

Oh boy, here we go. I haven't told Christian about our interested new owner, but I still would really like to sell to him. I've been talking to him a lot today, and I know he's ready to jump right in. Of course, Christian may not be a fan of the choice.

"His name is Ryan Fitzgerald…. He's an old friend of mine."

**Genevieve – A Week Later **

** I feel Elliot at the door before I see him. **Tonight is Ana's cocktail party at her gallery to celebrate the transition between owners. I found a beautiful silver Naeem Khan dress out of Ana's closet to wear for tonight. It's short and silver, and it shows off my legs. Elliot loves when I show off my legs.

"Holy fuck," Elliot hisses under his breath, "Baby, you look amazing."

I turn around and smirk as I admire my husband. Elliot is wearing a beautiful three piece silver Armani suit, and he looks edible. I run my hands up and down his strong chest and kiss his cheek.

"So do you," I whisper in his ear.

"Let's skip your sister's party," he proposes, "Seriously, I mean it. I haven't had you in so long and tonight….. fuuuuck."

I smile, "Later…. We'll go later. We need to go now to my sister's party."

He groans and kisses my temple. Things with Elliot have been fine. They aren't perfect, but they've been better. I've worked less, but my head is in a hundred different places. I've been incredibly distracted with thoughts of JR's investigation of my mother. Honestly, I've been distracted since I found out the results of JR's background check. I feel like I'm waiting for something to happen.

"I need to go check on my babies…. I need to make sure they're ready to go."

**The theme of Ana's party is the roaring twenties, and everyone in the family is invited to the festivities. **I found matching flapper girl dresses for Ireland and Hayden and Rocky has a perfect little suit to match his Dad's. They all look so precious.

"I wook wike Hayden…." Ireland beams as she reaches for her big sister.

Hayden smirks as she rests Ireland on her hip. "You do…. We're two peas in a pod," she beams happily.

I take a few pictures of my babies before we head for the car. Elliot wraps his arm around me protectively and beams with pride. "Rocky and I will be walking into the party with the three most beautiful women in the room. We're some lucky SOBs."

Hayden rolls her eyes, "Dad…"

"Don't Dad me," he says as he kisses the top of her head, "It's true."

**When we enter the party, the whole room is alive with energy. **I never expected her to sell the gallery, but I am glad that she is at peace with the decision. I hope she is ok; the last couple months have been rough on her. With her and Christian having trouble with having a second baby and stepping away from the job she has loved for years, I can't imagine her state of mind. I hope she is ok. I need to check up on her when I see her again.

Ireland immediately spots her cousin in Grace's lap and my family moves toward their grandmother. When the girls find each other, they giggle and begin to run around the expansive party. Grace laughs at the girls and leans over to kiss her son.

"You're looking well baby boy," Grace coos at Elliot, "And you and Genevieve are looking well…. I'm assuming things are much better."

She nods at me and I nod back. "They are," Elliot answers, "Much better…"

"Have you seen my sister?" I ask. Grace's expression looks suddenly very anxious.

"Christian and Ana had to step away…. Apparently, Ana didn't tell Christian about the gallery's new owner…. And he's not fond of the new owner."

"Who is the new owner?" Elliot asks with a chuckle.

"One of Ana's exes…" she says, shaking her head, "I think he is being ridiculous, but you know your brother…."

I turn to Elliot and he nods, knowing that I need to find Ana and possibly talk some sense into his over protective older brother.

**Ana **

** "Stop it," I hiss at him, "It's not that big of a deal…. And Ryan needs the money."**

"I don't care that he needs money, he's doing this on purpose."

I groan and shake my head, "Why would he try something after all these years, you're being ridiculous."

"You're too naïve," he hisses, "Of course he wants what is mine…"

There he goes with the "he wants what is mine" bullshit. "We sold to him, and that's it. I won't communicate with him again. Chanel has offered to take that over."

"You shouldn't have communicated with him in the first place," he yells indignantly, "Just make Chanel the new owner."

I scoff at him, "Chanel doesn't have any money, I pay her. You entrusted me with this sale, yet you don't trust me now, I don't understand. Do you think so low of me?"

His jaw drops like I've slapped him. "Of course I trust you…."

"THEN ACT LIKE IT," I yell back. I turn around and begin walking down the stairs. We're talking in circles and there is no doubt that this conversation is over.

"We aren't done here Anastasia," he yells at me from my office.

"I think we are, ass wipe," I yell back.

"Did you just call me an ass wipe?"

Ryan will be here tonight for the party and the ceremonial handing over of my gallery and then our relationship is over. We hardly even had a relationship anyways, it was just sex. I shake my head, I am glad I didn't verbalize that to my angry husband.

I see a woman dressed in silver heading my way, and I smile when I realize it's my beautiful sister. "Hey sis, looking hot."

She smiles when she sees me. "Everything ok? Did you really sell the gallery to Ryan Fitzgerald?"

I grab her elbow and turn her around. "Let's go to the party sis…."

"So we aren't talking about the ex-boyfriend?" she smirks.

"We really, really aren't…."

**I throw Christian's suit jacket around my neck and take a seat on the stage. **I smooth out my white dress cocktail dress and move my focus back to my baby girl. She is running around the gallery with Ireland and she looks so happy. Christian scoops her up, tickles her, and then throws her up in the air. She squeals with delight and my heart skips a beat.

Genevieve takes a seat next to me and I squeeze her hand. "I don't think there is anything sweeter than seeing my daughter and my husband."

Gen nods, "I know the feeling…"

"God, Gen…. I want another baby."

She smiles sadly, "I would give you one of mine, but I like them too much."

I laugh, "No, I want another of my own. Christian deserves another baby."

Genevieve takes a deep sigh and I know she doesn't want to ask what she is about to ask me. "Is that why you're selling the gallery? So you can devote more time to baby making…"

I laugh, "No…. my heart just isn't in this anymore."

We both turn our heads and find my ex- Ryan talk to my former employees. He is keeping on every single one of my employees and I am so relieved. I'd hate to see any of them out of a job.

"Christian has been civil where Ryan is concerned," Gen nods.

I snicker, "You weren't in the room for our argument, and you didn't hear what he had to say during the "passing on" portion of the evening."

Ryan was very respectful and professional during the "passing on" portion of the evening. We only shook hands as I officially passed the gallery on to him. Christian of course still looked like he was about to commit murder when Ryan touched my hand. I shake my head, _some things never change. _

I look at my sister and see her eyes glued to Elliot. He is speaking to a very busty woman across the room. Her hands are all over him, and I am quickly trying to figure out who she is.

"Who invited Laura Hester tonight?"

"Laura who?" I ask as she scowls.

"She works for Elliot…. She is an accountant. They fucked a lot during his man whore days."

"And she works for him?" I gasp.

"He states that they keep it professional, and when they meet, there is always someone else present but still… she wants him again."

"How did she get into my party?" I ask with surprise.

She scoffs, "I swear, the woman probably followed him here. She's just waiting for the opportunity to sink her claws into him." With Elliot and Gen not in the best place right now, I know she must be feeling insecure about their relationship.

Genevieve's phone rings and her eyes go wide as she examines the caller ID. "I need to talk this…. I'll be right back."

**Genevieve**

** "Hello?" I ask nervously, moving for a good place to talk. **I keep an eye on Laura and Elliot as I take JR's call. He hasn't contacted me since I asked him to investigate my mother, so my mind is racing with possibilities.

"I found her," he says quickly, "You have a book signing in Phoenix this coming week, right?"

Holy mother of fuck, he found her. My mother is alive. "Yeah, Wednesday and Thursday…."

"Good," he says, "Her name is Reya Rhodes and she lives in Phoenix. We'll talk about the details later…. I am going with you."

"You're going with me?"

"Yes, I'm assuming you haven't told anyone else about this."

I've been afraid and ashamed to say anything. JR is the only one who knows about my mother. "No I haven't."

"Good…. Then I am going with you."

**A/N2 – Thank you so much for all of your support! Please let me know what you think! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N 1 - Wow, I didn't realize Ryan would be such a worry. Let me tell you, you shouldn't be worried about Ryan. Based off what I have planned, he's actually going to be good for our little group. Just trust me **

**Also – if there is any confusion (I take full blame for this) please let me know. I tried to clear some up, but I still have some guest reviewers asking for explanation. That's a tad hard when you're a guest so please send me your confusion in a message and I'll try to clear it up. **

**Thanks and enjoy! **

**Chapter 9 – The True Story **

**Genevieve **

** My fingers clumsily move over the numbers of my cell phone, and I fight the urge to call Elliot. **I sink into my plush hotel room bed and try to figure out what to do. I want to tell Elliot about this, but I can't find the right words. I haven't told anyone about the prospect of meeting my mother, especially my husband and my sister. To my friends and family, I'm in Phoenix for a book signing and that's all.

I remain anxious yet skeptical about this meeting. Apart of me wants to know if this is true, if JR really found my mother. Another part of me knows the can of worms this kind of information will open. If this is true, mine and Ana's father had an affair. He stepped out on Ana's mother and conceived me with some other woman. I would be the result of infidelity and the thought kills me. I shake my head and dial JR. Elliot doesn't need to know about any of this until I have real solid answers. Reya Rhodes could be an albino liar, and all of JR's research could be crap.

JR kept his plan very simple. Reya Rhodes owns an up and coming successful Real Estate agency in Phoenix and JR sought her out to offer his services. He vetted her company and found an anomaly – me. I am terrified.

"Hi," I breathe as JR answers the phone.

"You ready?" he asks as I move for the door.

"I don't want to do this."

"Genevieve," he chastises, "Do you want to go the rest of your life living in the dark about your life?"

"Yes," I tell him with a confident nod, "I want to go back to my old, less complicated life."

He sighs, "Gen… you don't have to do this, but….. I think you need to. I promise I wouldn't drag you to meet Reya if I didn't think this was a good idea."

He's right; I don't want to live in the dark for the rest of my life. I take in a deep sigh and gather myself together. "Ok…. I'll be downstairs in a second."

"Take your time baby…. take your time."

**When we pull up to the front of Reya's home, I take a good look at her spacious house. **I turn to JR and he nods enthusiastically. I think I can do this. I hope I can do this. I hope I don't puke on my shoes before I make it to her front door.

We get out of the car and walk hand in hand to the front door. JR pats my back and he places a kiss on the top of my head. I am momentarily shocked by such an intimate move. Unfortunately, my shock drowns under the weight of my anxiety. Fuck, I really don't want to do this.

"Follow my lead," he whispers in my ear, "As far as she knows, you're my assistant. I don't want to drop anything till the time is right."

I nod anxiously as he rings the front door. I run my hands down my dress and try to ease my nerves. I keep trying to remind myself that everything will be ok. When this is over, I'll go back to my family and life will move on. I shouldn't worry myself over if she likes me or not.

The door opens and my jaw drops. Reya greets us at the door and I can't even speak, I feel paralyzed. She is exactly how JR described her: a tall, leggy brunette with big green eyes – my big green eyes. She has to be in her late forties, probably hitting fifty. She obviously takes good care of herself because she looks so young for her age.

Her eyes move from JR to me, and I wonder for a second if she'll see the resemblance between us immediately. I thought I looked like my Dad, but as I look into the face of my Mom– I know I came from her. There is no doubt in my mind that Reya is my mother.

"Mrs. Rhodes, I am here to discuss the findings of my research," JR says coolly.

"Thank God," she huffs, "I've been nervous all week." Her eyes immediately move to me. "Who is this? Your assistant or your girlfriend?"

He laughs calmly, "My assistant…. This is Genevieve."

I see her body tense as she examines me further. "Genevieve….. that's such a… beautiful name," she says, struggling over her words. "I've met very few Genevieve's in my life span. Only one actually…" Why is she freaking out over my name? _Oh my God, Did Reya name me Genevieve?_

Reya turns back to JR anxiously. "Did you say she was your assistant?"

"Yes, brand new Assistant…. From Seattle Washington."

Reya eyes me over for the millionth time as if she is committing my face and my body to memory. She knows. She has to know. The surprise and disbelief is written all over her face.

"That's why I wanted to speak with you Reya…." JR says with a relieved nod, "She is why I needed to talk to you."

She looks behind us nervously and nods. "Please come in…."

**As Reya tells her story, I feel absolutely sick. **This isn't going to be a good story with a happy ending. This is a story of how my Dad cheated on Ana's Mom and how I was abandoned by the woman who gave me life. I'm not even sure if I want to hear this.

"I worked for your Dad," Reya begins, eyes on her feet, "I was a green nineteen year old, ready to work my ass off and he was my hot and unattainable boss. I had gotten married straight out of high school to my high school sweetheart. My husband Shep was in the military and I rarely saw him, I was so lonely."

I didn't realize Reya had been married too. "So there's a chance of Ray not being my father?"

She shakes her head wildly, "No…. like I said. Shep was in the military so I never ever saw him. When he came home, he wore a condom when we made love because he didn't want me to be pregnant while he was gone… I was young and he didn't think it was fair for me to raise a child without him around."

JR pats my back and I feel relief fly through me. "We can do a DNA test when we get back to Seattle," JR assures me, "But I am confident that you're in the clear."

I nod, not sure if relief is the right word to use, "So… what happened. Well I guess I already know the answer to that."

She nods, "I was lonely and your Dad was so attractive. We started small. He would touch me or give me small kisses or hold my hand…. I enjoyed the attention. I was so lonely, I was desperate for it."

This is such a horrible position to be in. My mother is explaining her affair with my Dad, an act that I know broke Ana's mother's heart. Ana's mother is the only mother I have ever known. I want to hurt Reya for hurting my mother, but it's hard when she's my real Mom. This is so fucked up. I am so mixed up and messed up right now, I can't even think.

"Then things escalated…. We were obviously attracted to each other," she says with a sad look, "It helped him feel better to know that we were both married. I guess because we both were equals in our infidelity. I had no idea that he had a newborn baby at home…. I am not proud of what happened between us."

"So when you found out you were pregnant with me….?" I ask, barely able to spit out the words.

"I quit my job and I went home to stay with my mother. She thought I was pregnant with Shep's baby, so she gladly took me in. Ray never knew that I was pregnant until I showed up on their doorstep with you after you were born."

She looks at me and I know she is about to burst into tears. I know I won't like what she is about to say, but I just can't look away. I will myself to stay in my seat, ready to hear the worst of it.

"When Shep came home from the military, he saw me with a baby and he knew I cheated on him. He told me – it's the baby or me…. He made me chose. Shep was the love of my life and I couldn't ruin that," she says, holding back tears, "I was young and not ready to be a mother. I figured Ray and his wife could raise you better than I could."

"So you gave her back to Ray…." JR prompts.

She nods, not looking me in the eye, "Ray didn't know…. His wife didn't know. They were both blindsided."

"Carla," I spit out, "Her name was Carla."

She looks at me with confusion. "What do you mean was? Did your mother die?"

"They both did…. In a car accident when I was six," I say softly, still trying to understand what I am hearing.

"You signed your rights away so they didn't call you…." JR adds.

"Shep would have been furious," she says to herself, shaking her head, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

I can't believe what I am hearing. I had some expectation for how this might go, and right now, I am at a loss for words. Is she really sorry for my loss? I am her daughter and she is more concerned about how her husband would have felt if I had come back into her life?

The sound of a car in the driveway knocks me out of my thoughts and Reya looks frantic. "Shep is home with the boys from soccer practice…. You both need to leave."

My eyes swing over to her mantle and I immediately see numerous pictures of brunette little boys displayed proudly in her home.

"You couldn't be a mother?" I ask her bitterly.

She shakes her head without apology, "It just wasn't the right time for me."

Before I can spit out another word, JR grabs my arm and helps me to the front door. "Thank you for your assistance Reya," he tells her angrily, "But I think we're done now."

**When we get back to the hotel, JR walks me upstairs. **I haven't said a word since we left Reya's house, and I can only assume that he is worried about me in my catatonic state. My brain can't function right now. There is so much swirling in my head, and I am not sure what to do.

"I'm sorry Gen," he finally says after several minutes of me staring off into space, "I didn't realize that would be…."

"Awful?" I snap angrily at him, "That was fucking terrible JR."

"I know….. and I'm sorry."

Something about JR's pity supremely pisses me off. He is sorry? JR is sorry for me because I was born into the worst situation imaginable on planet earth…. Seriously?"

I lose my shit in an instant. "You're sorry for me…. Basically, you forced me to come to Phoenix to meet the woman who gave me life…. To learn about how she fucked my Dad and fucked over Ana's mother…. To have her kick me out of her damn house so her douchebag husband and their stupid kids wouldn't find me there… is that what you're sorry for JR?"

"I understand that you're angry…."

"You don't understand anything," I yell at him, "I have lived my whole damn life thinking I was the daughter of the world's most perfect Dad and the Mother Theresa of all mothers…. Now I find out that I wasn't even wanted by my father's whore of a secretary."

He looks at me with disappointment and pure sadness in his eyes and I lose it. I drop to my knees and sob a river of tears. He pulls me close to his body and I cry in his neck, wishing everything could be different, wishing I didn't feel so much distance from the life I thought I knew.

"If I had known," he says into my ear, "I wouldn't have brought you here. I am so sorry…. You don't deserve this."

He kisses my hair and my cheeks and my nose. Suddenly, his lips are on mine. First, our kisses are soft and soothing. Within seconds, they turn rough and needy. I pull at the fabric of his T-Shirt, breaking the top two buttons of his shirt in the process. His lips move to my neck, and I moan at the feel of his lips on my skin.

"You're upset," he murmurs against my skin, "Are you sure? I want this, but I want to know that you are ok first."

Without giving any of this a second thought, I roll over him and begin undressing him. We paw at each other sloppily, so overcome by desire, and we both quickly get undressed. He rolls me back over and moves his fingers over my sex. I groan for him and he kisses me aggressively. In this moment, I don't want to think about anything – I just want to feel.

**Thirty Years Earlier**

**Carla**

** The clock on the wall ticks softly as I stare down at the beautiful little girl in my arms. **There is so much I need to do right now, so much I need to say to my husband but I can't say any of it. He fucked up and I am furious with him, but those feelings can't beat what I know is right.

This little girl was abandoned and left with her father and me. No child should be treated like that. No child should be left behind because of irresponsible parents. She doesn't deserve this.

"This is not your fault, little one," I whisper to her, "None of it is. I am so sorry that your mother left and I am so sorry that my asshole husband didn't know you existed."

Ray walks into the room and he looks exhausted. We've been waiting for the DNA test results all week, and they finally came in. Genevieve looks so much like him; I had no doubts that Ray is her father.

"She is mine," he says with a defeated shrug, "And Reya Rhodes is long gone…."

"We're keeping her," I tell him, "We aren't going to tell her that her mother is a whore…. I am going to be her mother."

"Carla," he says sadly, "You don't have to do that."

I shake my head at him, "We can tell people who matter that we had her by a surrogate. With the money my father left when he died, the story would be plausible."

"You want to keep her?" he asks and my jaw drops.

"Raymond Steele, you've done a lot of shitty things lately, but the last thing you are going to do is get rid of a child that has already been abandoned once."

He shakes his head, "That sounded bad…. I'm sorry. I'm exhausted and I wasn't thinking."

I sigh, "As of right now, she is my daughter. She is Anastasia's sister, and we're going to make this work….unless you want to leave all three of us for your brand new secretary."

He looks suddenly very terrified by the thought, thank fucking God. I can't work on a marriage with a man who is relieved by the thought of me leaving. Terror was the reaction I was looking for from the bastard.

"Carla…. No. I messed up, but I'll fix this. We can fix this."

"Couples counseling?" I suggest.

He nods, "I'll do whatever you want honey. I'm so sorry…."

"Good…. Now bring Ana in here," I tell him with relief, "She needs to meet her baby sister."

He nods and walks away. I continue to rock Genevieve, softly explaining to her that we'll make this right. I explain that she has always been wanted and loved by the people in her life. My heart breaks at the thought of Genevieve living with the whore that my husband cheated with. That bitch would probably be a shitty mother.

"Mommy, why you holding a baby?" I hear Ana's sweet voice through the room.

I smile as my now oldest daughter approaches. "Ana dear, it seems that the Stork has left us a sweet surprise…. You have a new baby sister."

"A sister?" my two year old beams, "Wemme see her."

Ana climbs on the chair next to mine and gazes lovingly at the bundle in my arms. Ray stands in the corner, staring at us as we interact. "She's my sister?" Ana asks again.

I nod, "Yes she is. You're a big sister now so you need to promise to help me take good care of her. She's little so you are her protector now. Do you promise Mommy that you'll be a good protector?"

Ana nods enthusiastically and I can't help but smile. "Was her name?"

"Genevieve," I tell her softly, "But you can call her Gen…."

**A/N2 – I ain't too proud to beg! Please review **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Re-direction **

**Genevieve **

** It has been almost five months since my disaster trip to Phoenix, and I made substantial changes. **I put my office up for sale and decided I would end my book series at three. My third book is complete so now we're in the editing process. With editing, it is a lot easier to work from home and take care of my babies. It's hard for me to focus creatively with noise and craziness. For me, editing has always been simpler.

Bryan is really upset with me because he wanted the series to hit four or five books. My books have found a following, and he feels like I am wasting an opportunity to capitalize on it. Sometimes, you just need to move on, money isn't everything. I just can't do this anymore. Something has got to give.

I can't explain what happened in Phoenix. Instead of giving excuses for my behavior, I am moving forward. I am taking what happened in Phoenix to the grave, and I am moving on with life. Basically, I am living in denial about what happened and I am ok with that. I can't dwell.

JR has tried to call and text me, but I have shut that down immediately. I erase every text message and reject every phone call. I am hoping that he quickly gets the picture that I am not entertaining the idea of anything more with him. We're done.

"Are you ok?" Ana asks, as she makes me a cup of tea. With my time back on my hands, I've had time to take Ireland for play dates with Josephine. This extra time with my sister has been great, I feel like I never see her.

"Of course, I'm perfect…"

She sighs, "You don't seem perfect. You know you can tell me if there is something wrong, right?"

I smile at my sister and she smiles back at me. I know what is going on here, Elliot sent her to talk to me. "Did Elliot ask you to talk to me?"

She shakes her head and I see a bit of an attitude in my sister's expression. "You're my sister. I don't need your husband or my husband to get us to talk. I am slightly insulted by that question…."

"My apologies," I say with a sarcastic smirk.

"It was you and me before any of them," she continues, "So don't even go there with me…."

"Ok Ana, I get it. I'm sorry…"

"Thank you," she says with a cocky smirk, "And we've all noticed how different you've been acting lately. You haven't been the same since your trip to Phoenix."

You know how there are certain words that make you want to puke? Phoenix does that for me. I take a sip of my drink and shake my head. "It has just been a hard transition…. Going from working as hard as I have worked to only editing, I'm not used to it."

"You were going really hard," she says with a nod, "Elliot's just concerned…."

So Elliot did talk to her…. "Why doesn't Elliot ask me this then?" I snap at her, "Why am I hearing about this from you and not him?"

She takes a step back and eyes me nervously. "I volunteered for this. Elliot is your husband and he's naturally going to come up…. There is no need to freak out. Seriously, Gen. What's wrong?"

"I am so done with you asking me that question," I say as Ireland and Josephine run up to greet us.

"Mommy…. I want animal cwackers," Josephine says politely to her mother. Ireland jumps on my lap and snuggles happily into my side.

"Well thank you for asking so politely baby girl," Ana giggles as she reaches for the animal crackers, "Ireland, would you also like some animal crackers too?"

Ireland giggles as I cuddle close to my baby. "Yes Auntie Nana."

"Aunt Nana, it's like music to my ears, I love when your babies call me Nana…." Ana says excitedly as she gives the girls their snacks, "I love it. It reminds me that I am Aunt and Grandma rolled into one."

"We need to come up with a name for me," I tell her as Ireland chomps happily on the first animal in her pile, "Have we had any visits from the stork lately?"

It hurts that I have been so wrapped up in my own world that I have no idea what is going on with Ana and her baby making progress. I am the definition of a shitty sister. I kiss Ireland on the cheek as Ana smiles lovingly.

"The stork has come…. And gone," she whispers, stroking Josephine's hair, "I had a D&C when you were in Phoenix."

My heart drops to the floor. "What?"

She nods, "I don't get it. I am young, I am healthy…. This should happen for us again. I don't understand what's going on."

I reach across the counter for her hand and she takes it willingly. "I should have been here for this," I tell her regretfully, "I've been so selfish."

"No you haven't," she says, shaking her head, "I made sacrifices so you could have a chance to do what you want to do. I'm actually really concerned that you're shutting down the book series so early."

She doesn't know how selfish I actually am. My hope is that she will never know how selfish I really was. I kiss Ireland's hair and take in a deep breath.

"I had to do it. I've been so…. stressed. And I miss my family. It was what I had to do."

She nods, "That makes sense, but surely Elliot could have made some room in his life…."

"Elliot has done plenty for me," I interrupt her; "I've put him through enough."

She shrugs, "Ok…. I get it. Three books are better than nothing."

"That's what I say…." I say. The girls decide they are bored with us and go back to playing with the dollhouses that Elliot made them for Christmas. "So have you decided what you are going to do now that you've sold the gallery?"

"Besides trying to be a baby making machine," she huffs, "I am not sure and it's so aggravating. I visited the gallery last week and Chanel and Ryan tried to convince me to paint full time…."

"Oh my god," I chuckle, "You never told me how it is now that Ryan lives in Seattle."

She shakes her head in admonishment, "I talked to him once after the sale and when I went to go visit Chanel. Seriously, my husband is the King of Overreaction."

"Mommy," Josephine's sweet voice whines from upstairs, "Can Irewand and me play in the poowl?"

"I guess it's swimming pool time," Ana says with a shrug, "And I guess for now, I will be a Seattle Trophy Wife."

"It could be worse," I say as the girls rush down the stairs, "You could be a trophy wife without a brain…."

**We had a long morning at Ana's and Ireland is absolutely exhausted. **To remedy her exhaustion, the two of us are curled up on the couch and Dora the Explorer is blaring through the television speakers. I squeeze my baby and inhale her sweet baby girl scent. This is why I've pulled back at work; I have missed moments like this with my kids. I kiss Ireland's hair and reach for my cell phone.

JR has not stopped texting me, and I need to do my daily deleting of his texts. I have a batch of messages from today and I sift through them mindlessly. JR just won't stop sending me messages. In the beginning I told him to quit but he hasn't gotten the message.

_**Fuck Gen, just talk to me**_

_** I'm sorry for what happened. **_

_** Ok I am not sorry, but I hate that you won't talk to me. **_

_**Call me back please **_

_** Fuck it Gen… I just need to talk to you. I need to tell you how I feel. **_

_** I know it wasn't right, but I can't control how I feel about you**_

__He needs to tell me how he feels and he can't control how he feels about me? What could he possibly say to me? How could his words EVER make this right? _I want to run away with you because the one time we had sex was mind blowing? _Is he fucking joking? He knows I'm married, he knows what happened was wrong. I don't understand why he needs to talk to me.

"Mama," Ireland says, pulling me from my thoughts, "I'm sleepy."

"Do you want to sleep here or in your bed?" I ask as she curls into me, answering my question.

"Wif you…." She beams.

I smile and hold tight to my daughter. I am not going to argue. I place my phone back on the coffee table and snuggle with my baby girl.

**When I wake up, my house is much darker.** I freak out internally because I know I've been sleeping for a while.I look around the living room and rub my eyes. Hayden smiles at me as she chows down on what seems to be dinner.

"What is that?" I cough out. I try to stand up, but my legs feel like Bambi legs.

"The food?" Hayden asks as Rocky scoops a big bite into his mouth. "Frozen Lasagna…. I made it." Hayden seems so proud of her handiwork; I can't help but smile at my girl's independence.

"You made it?" I ask as I reach over to hug Hayden, "Good job baby."

I look around the table, surprised to see my kids all eating without Elliot anywhere to be seen. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Hayden sighs, "You looked so peaceful Mom…. I just couldn't do it. I could handle the two rug rats."

I take a seat next to Ireland and help her pick up a few stray pieces. "Well, that's sweet of you. Where's your father?"

Rocky shrugs, "He dropped Hayden and me off….. he told us not to wake you from your nap. Then he got weird and decided to go for a run…."

I nod, slightly confused by Elliot's disappearance. "Can I eat with you guys?"

Hayden snickers and grabs a plate. "Of course you can Mom." Hayden insists that I sit as she serves me a plate, and I allow her a second to be the boss. She loves being able to take care of Rocky and Ireland, and I allow her to do it on her terms. When she wants to hang out with her friends, and knock over a liquor store – of course I'll give her that opportunity too.

As we eat, I try to start a conversation with my baby boy. I feel bad for Rocky sometimes he is outnumbered by the women in our home. Elliot pays special attention to Rocky because he doesn't want him to feel like that. It's sweet because Rocky worships Elliot.

After forty five minutes of eating and talking with my family, Elliot walks through the door. His breathing his harsh and when he looks at me, he stops in his tracks. We stare at each other, and I know something is wrong with him.

"Daddy!" Hayden says happily, begging for his attention, "I made lasagna."

He moves his eyes from me and examines the feast in front of him. "You did that?" he asks, pulling off his shoes. Hayden nods proudly and Elliot gives her the same smile that I gave our daughter. "Good job baby… but hey, can you watch your brother and sister…. I need to talk to your mother."

She nods, "Of course, Daddy."

Elliot stalks across the room and grabs my arm. "Upstairs," he hisses in my ear, "Now."

**I have been in trouble a lot with my husband over the past couple years so I can only imagine why he's so mad at me. **Things have been so good lately, and I am nervous as to what has him so mad. When we enter our bedroom, Elliot opens the drawer next to his side of the bed and pulls out my cell phone. I didn't delete my texts from earlier, _fucking motherfucking shit_. My body freezes, every muscle and tendon too shocked to move, and I feel all the blood drain from my face.

"Oh great," Elliot says bitterly, "You've got more texts."

"Elliot," I breathe, not sure what else to say. I cannot even think right now.

"Genevieve, you better tell me the fucking truth when I ask you this question and no bullshit because I am ten seconds from flying off the fucking roof," he snaps, anger brewing from deep down in his gut, "Genevieve…. Are you having a fucking affair?"

**A/N – Sorry this is so short. March through May is when I typically have issues getting out big chapters. It's my thing, we'll all deal with it and move on. Lol. Thank you for reading! Trust me – it sucks right now but I have a plan and we'll get there. Thanks again! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N – I'm tired of Gen, you're tired of Gen…. I think it's time to bring in some Elliot…. And maybe a few other people too! Thank you so much for all of your continued support! **

**Curse Alert – This chapter has a lot of cursing, just thought I'd warn the squeamish. Lol **

**Chapter 11 – The Fall out **

**Elliot **

** I am practically shaking as Genevieve attempts to answer my question. **The last several years have been rough on our relationship, so the possibility of her cheating has been an afterthought in my mind, but I just never thought she'd do it. I never thought I'd be in this position.

I throw her phone across the room, needing it away from me. Those text messages are like knives, I can't fucking look at them. As soon as I read them, I flipped out and ran myself into oblivion. I am still a fucking train wreck, and I am definitely not ready for this conversation.

"It only happened once…."

My heart drops. "Once," I snap, "That fucker sounds obsessed with you. You aren't telling me everything." I need to know, but fuck – I really don't want to know.

She takes in a deep breath before she pulls my heart out of my chest. "He works for SIP…. He accompanied me to my signing in Phoenix as a representative of the company."

My mind is spinning, and I don't know where to begin with her. "He keeps texting you, are you still seeing the fucker?"

She shakes her head adamantly, "We had a friendship and then I let it get too far…. We're done and over."

"That's the understatement of the century sweetheart," I bite out angrily, "Why the fuck did you do this to me? I've given you everything, Genevieve."

Tears are flowing down her face as she grabs my hands. "I've done everything I can to fix this. I've separated myself from SIP and I am trying to be home twenty four seven, I am trying to fix this Elliot."

"Fix this?" I scream, "How can you fix this? You've been lying to me for months…. Fuck, Gen – I thought I was finally getting my wife back…. But all along you were just covering your ass."

She is sobbing and it takes everything inside of me not to comfort her. Even when she stomps my heart on the floor, I still love her. Fuck me; this would be so much easier if I could hate her. I hate the thought that I might love her more then she loves me.

"I stepped over the line," she sobs, "And once that happened, it scared me and I wanted to be better for you. I wanted to give you what you deserved. I fucked up and I don't deserve you Elliot…. And I am so damn sorry…."

We stare across the room at each other as she continues to sob. It becomes very clear that I need to get out of here. My run was a joke; I need something harder to deal with this. I grab her phone and put it in my pocket, and then I send a quick text to my brother.

"Are you leaving?" she sobs.

I nod, "Don't wait up…. Tell the kids that I'm hanging out with Uncle Christian. I don't want to freak them out when I am not home tonight"

She nods and chokes out a sob before she says her next words. "Are you going to come back to me?"

"I don't know," I say, changing quickly, "You got to decide that you wanted to come back to me…. Now it's my turn."

**I finish off my third glass of whiskey by the time my brother shows up. **We didn't used to call on each other like this; we haven't always had a close relationship. After we married sisters, that all changed. No one else knows the trouble we face from being married to the Steele sisters.

Christian saunters into the bar and heads straight to where I am sitting. He runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head at me. "You look like a fucking mess."

"It's been that kind of a night," I tell him, patting the seat next to me.

"You know I left my half naked wife in order to talk to your sorry ass," he jokes as he takes a seat.

"Give Ana my apologies," I say as I pull out Gen's phone, "I need you to figure out who is sending my wife text messages."

His eyes go wide as he examines Gen's phone. "Text messages?" he asks, "And the fucker is still alive?"

"She fucked him in Phoenix too…." I snap angrily.

Christian doesn't miss a beat. "And the fucker is still alive?"

"Get me information on the guy so I can beat the shit out of him."

"Elliot," he says, shaking his head, "I'm so sorry…. I don't understand what the hell Gen was thinking…"

"I don't understand either, this isn't my wife. This is some alien that's infiltrated her body…." I say, shaking my head, "Do you think Ana knows?"

"No, I don't think she does," he says adamantly, "I would know if she knew anything."

"Don't tell her…." I ask him, "I think Genevieve should be the one to tell her."

He snorts, "I don't think I can keep something like this from my wife…."

His words cause me to snap. "That's exactly what I am saying. Why can't she talk to me? Why can't she tell me she's not happy? Why does she hide things from me? I'm fucking telling you Christian…. This is not my wife."

He nods, unfazed by my outburst. "What are you going to do about this? How will you know that she isn't going back to him?"

"That's exactly it. I don't trust her anymore. She swears that she was trying to fix things after Phoenix, but what the fuck…. I don't trust her. What the fuck do I do about this now?"

He nods, staring at his drink. "Do you want my advice?" he asks me.

"Yes…."

He takes in a deep breath. "Genevieve may have made some shitty mistakes, but at her core, she's still Genevieve. I say, you let her prove herself and if she ruins it, you leave. One person can only take so much, but at the same time, it's Gen – you love her, she's the mother of your kids, you've been together for so long. Give her a chance to fix this."

I don't know what to say to that, so I just sit in and drink. "Find that guy," I finally tell him, "She says he works for SIP."

"Fucker," Christian hisses, "Ana wants to write a cookbook and she's been talking to SIP."

I snort, "Buy it and fire the bastard."

He nods, impressed with the idea, "That's not bad. I should." We clink glasses and finish our drinks. "So what are you going to do? If you threw her out, no one would blame you…."

I have three little faces in mind that might disagree with me on that one.

**When I get home, all three kids are asleep and I tentatively make my way to the bedroom. **When I enter, Genevieve is sitting up and clutching a pillow. I plow through the room and find clothes. My first instinct is to sleep in the guest room. I can't be near her right now, I'm still so angry with her.

"You came back?" she asks, her voice hopeful.

"I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom," I tell her, "And I am making the rules from here on out."

She nods as she wipes her cheeks. "Ok."

"Because all trust I had in you is gone, you blew that up in the air."

"I know," she says softly, "I meant it when I said that I am willing to do anything to fix this."

"Good," I say as I walk through the door and slam it behind me.

**JR **

** It's late but I get a call from Bryan's partner that my presence has been requested at SIP. **It has to be about ten or eleven, but I don't ask any questions. Bryan has talked a lot about leadership changes, so I am lead to believe that this meeting has something to do with that. Seattle Independent Publishing is in the process of being bought out, so I have a feeling my days at SIP are numbered. With Genevieve blocking me out of her life, I really don't have a reason to work here anymore anyway.

The offices are vacant with the exception of one man dressed in black, standing next to the conference room. I have a bad feeling about all of this, but I continue forward through the quiet offices with ease. The man nods at me when I get closer and smiles widely.

"Mr. Grey will see you now…." _Mr. Grey? What the fuck? _

Before I have a chance to answer, another man steps forward and knees me in the stomach. Once I fall to the ground, both men grab my arms and drag me inside. As I expected, I look up and see Christian Grey's smug smile.

"We just wanted to make you feel at home, Mr. Irving," Grey says sarcastically as he points to a chair. The two men holding my arms sit me down.

"Fuck off asshole," I hiss through the pain.

"Is your rib bruised or broken?" Christian asks as he sits down across from me, "From your experiences in prison, it seems that you should know the difference."

"You checked my background…." He's Christian fucking Grey, of course he checked my background.

"Your brother just raved and raved about your background checking abilities so I thought I'd pull one of my own…. Speaking of brothers, I hear that you know mine pretty well."

I scoff at him, "Not really…. But I know your sister-in-law."

With the mention of Genevieve, one of Grey's thugs wraps his arms around my neck and squeezes hard, putting me in a headlock. I know that if he squeezed harder, he'd break my neck. "Does my sister-in-law know that you're a thug who has been charged for almost every blue collar crime imaginable?" he asks

"Charged, but not convicted…."

"Except for the few times you've served in the penitentiary," he points out smugly, "You should be there now…. if I was the lawyer working against you, I'd figure out a way to put your sorry cunt ass in prison."

"Because I fucked your sister-in-law."

The man with the arm around my neck drops me and both men begin kicking hard into my sides. "I thought you'd figure this out by now," Christian says, shaking his head, "You mention Gen again, and your ass gets kicked."

"This is illegal Grey….," I hiss at the jackass, "I should call the fucking cops on your ass."

"The thing about working with criminals," he says with a sarcastic laugh, "Is that I can find a whole lot more dirt on you then you can on me."

"I didn't think Christian Grey played this way…." I yell at him as the last kick hits my side. I grimace and roll over. My ribs have to be broken at this point.

"Put his miserable ass back in that chair," Grey instructs his goons, "I want him to hear me when I say this." I clumsily sit back into my chair and Grey leans over. "If one of mine gets played, I play back even harder. You did something to Genevieve, and you're going to tell me what happened and then you're going to go far away."

"I don't know how to say this without getting my ass beat again," I say, looking at Grey's goons, "But what if she liked it? What if she liked me?"

He blatantly laughs, "If she knew the real you, she'd beat the shit out of you too." He straightens his tie and nods. "You're officially fired. I am taking over and if you talk to my sister-in-law ever again, I'll take you down even harder. Do you understand me? You will go away and leave my family the fuck alone."

I want to tell him that I'll find a way around this, I'll find a way to get her back, but I don't tell him anything. With a defeated nod I merely say, "Yes". Christian Grey has to know somewhere deep inside his gut that I am not even close to being done.

**A/N – Ok so I know I have people reading…. So please review! Thank you very much! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N – I don't own FSOG! And thank you so much for all the love from the last chapter! **

**Chapter 12 – When everyone finds out **

**Ana**

** "So wait," I say, gazing at my husband as he gets ready for today's festivities, "You bought Seattle Independent Publishing?"**

"It was formerly Seattle Independent Publishing," he clarifies as he buttons up his shirt, "Now, it will be Grey Publishing."

I shake my head, completely stunned by this news. I toyed with the idea of writing a cook book, and follow my little sister into publishing, and he goes out and buys a publishing company. Christian Grey will never cease to amaze me. Josephine toddles into our bathroom, already finished being dressed by the nanny, and climbs into my lap. Christian smiles affectionately at our girl as he reaches over to kiss her on the cheek.

"So you bought me a publishing company?" I ask.

"It's only yours if you want it, but you've never expressed an interest in editing," he says with a shrug, "But it made sense for me to buy it and rearrange a few dysfunctional parts."

"Dysfunctional parts?" I ask, slightly confused and very interested.

Christian sighs and shakes his head, "Remember how I told you about Gen's affair?"

How could I forget something like that? While all the Grey children and Grace Grey's guests celebrate Easter with decorative eggs, easter egg hunting, and too much candy, I plan on kicking my sister's ass over that piece of information. I knew Gen and Elliot were having problems, but I had no idea that it would even get this bad. I just cannot believe my sister would do something like that to Elliot. I am beyond disappointment, and I am severely hoping that self-sabotage doesn't bleed over into future generations. I don't want Hayden, Josephine, and Ireland to ever act like us.

"Yes."

"The asshole she cheated with…."

"Christian Grey," I chastise as I point to our daughter sitting on my lap. She giggles and points at her Dad.

"Thassa bad wor-d Dad-dy," she says with a thrilled giggle.

Christian leans over and affectionately kisses her on both cheeks. "Sorry baby… I'll put money in the swear jar." She smiles and giggles and cuddles closer to my side. Josephine is getting so big and catching on to everything we say. I cannot believe how much time has passed. She is three going on thirty.

"Anyway," Christian continues, "The person in question worked for SIP so that is why I needed to make a few changes in order for you to work there."

That makes sense, and is a complete Christian Grey move. "So you've met the guy?" I ask.

He nods, "He's a bas…. I mean, a bad man. He's got a past that could rival any criminal currently locked up."

"He's a criminal?" I ask, jaw on the floor.

"Yes, but he's had good lawyers to get him out of most of it. He should be locked up right now, but he somehow got around it," he says, shaking his head, "Gen really and truly has screwed up."

I don't want to talk so negatively about Gen around Josephine so I assume Bethany, our nanny, is downstairs waiting for Josephine. "Hey baby girl," I whisper in her ear, "Do you want to go find Bethany?"

She shakes her head and pouts. Christian leans over and kisses the top of her head. "Mommy and Daddy need to talk, we'll be down in a second…. Go find Bethany."

She sighs sadly and crawls off my lap. She exits the room and Christian wastes no time. "Are you going to talk to her today?"

"You better believe I will," I scoff, "If she thinks she can get out of this without talking to me, she is crazy. She is out of her mind if she thinks she can get away from me."

"It is Easter," he reminds me, "My mother will lose her mind if today gets ruined."

"I won't ruin your mother's Easter," I tell him, slightly insulted that he'd say something like that, "Me and Gen will keep it civil."

"Good," he says, turning to face me. My husband looks absolutely edible in a three piece grey suit. Grace Grey always asks for her holiday celebrations to be formal so he looks perfect for today. I stand up and run both of my hands through his hair, adding the finishing touches to his sexy "Daddy I'd like to fuck" look.

"So let's play a game…. How many times do you think your mother will bring up the fact that we have yet to create a second grandchild?"

He lowers her head overdramatically. "Probably a lot."

I kiss him on the top of the head and grab his hand. "We'll just overcompensate and sneak way to have lots of sex."

**When we arrive at Grace's house, I immediately spot my oldest niece digging through Grace's hors d'oeuvres. **Christian sets our daughter on the ground andJosephine immediately spots Ireland. She races through the crowd to find her best friend, knocking guests out of her way in the process. Hayden looks up when Josephine runs past her and smiles at me from across the room.

"Nana," she beams, "It feels like it's been forever since I've seen you."

I hug my sweet baby, and kiss her embarrassingly on the cheek. Hayden is fourteen years old, and I cannot believe that she has grown up so quickly. She wipes off my kiss and I smile at her pre-teen antics.

"Don't wipe off my kisses young lady," I tell her as she groans overdramatically, "Where is your mother?"

Her face morphs into annoyance as she points to her Mom across the room. "She's over there." I am suddenly very concerned that Hayden knows what is up with Genevieve and Elliot. I don't care how mad we are at her; there are just some things your kids don't need to know.

"What's wrong?" I ask her, motioning to Gen, "Are you and your mother fighting?"

"No, but she's fighting with Dad…."

"Do you know what they're fighting about?" I ask, concerned that Gen and Elliot haven't been careful enough.

She shakes her head and I try to hold back my sigh of relief. "Dad seems really upset all the time, and I have no doubts that Mom has something to do with it."

"Why are you so protective of your father?" I ask.

She shrugs, "He's a good guy and Mom is a lot like us."

"A lot like us?" I question with a snicker.

She smiles and shrugs unapologetically, "We have a way to be overpowering and being big pains in the ass."

I laugh at her observation of the Steele women, but I have to say something about her bad language. "Language young lady…."

"I'm sorry," she apologizes immediately, "But you know it's true. Mom is the worst about being a pain in the butt."

"That's because you live with her…. In reality, I'm the worst."

She laughs, "Maybe I should move in with you and Uncle Christian."

"We'd love to have you, but you know that your parents would miss you," I tell her, "You're a wonderful and fascinating woman, Hayden Grey."

She shrugs, "I do what I can."

"And I think it's kind of cute that you're so protective of your father, but I'd say that you need to back off just a smidge, he's a big boy. He can handle himself."

She sighs, "Something is up with them though…. I just can't put my finger on it."

**Elliot and Genevieve are standing next to each other in the main lawn when I finally make it over to them.** They're both intently watching Rocky, Ireland, Josephine, and other Non-Grey grandchildren hunt for Easter eggs.They aren't touching, and they don't even seem to be acknowledging each other.

"Rocky needs to give a few eggs to his sister and cousin," Elliot says blankly.

"Rocky," Gen hisses at their son from across the lawn, "Share with the three year olds."

I see Rocky get visibly annoyed with his parent's request to help his sister and cousin out with Easter egg finding. I laugh and Elliot and Gen laugh with me. I grab Genevieve's elbow and pull her to the side.

"Come with me please," I request sternly. She nods and follows, no doubt understanding why I am taking her away. Elliot turns to us and nods sarcastically.

"Have fun you two…."

**We find a guest bedroom and I see a smile cross Gen's face. **"The last time I was in this room, Elliot did me doggy style and we found out that Carrick was stealing from Christian." I remember them finding out about Carrick stealing from Christian, but I didn't know they had sex in here.

"How life has changed since then," I point out as she takes a seat on the bed, "Gen…. what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get my life back together again," she says with a shrug, "I've made bad decisions and I am trying to redeem myself."

"Why would you do that to your husband?" I ask, "What were you thinking?"

She kind of reminds me of a turtle, so reserved and held up in her shell. Genevieve holding back concerns me; we never used to be like this. We've always been so honest and open with each other, I don't understand why our relationship is like this. It used to be just the two of us, and now – I am really not sure if I recognize her. It makes sense that she would be like this with Elliot too.

"I've let things get too far," she says softly, "I pushed everyone out of my life and allowed someone else to come in and take over and I shouldn't have done that. I'm going to fix this with him."

I scoot closer and wrap my arms around her. She rests her head on my shoulder and I squeeze my baby sister close to my side. She sighs deeply and I feel so peaceful despite our heavy conversation.

When I hear Genevieve start to lightly sob, my heart breaks. I look down at her face, I see that she is wiping away her tears. I kiss her forehead and she cries even harder.

"I really screwed up Ana," she sobs, "And I don't know what to do. I don't know how to fix this with him."

I try not to cry with her as I help her wipe away a few stray tears. "You said you wanted to be home 24/7, and you're pulling back from your career, and you are going to put all your energy back into your relationship. I don't know what else you can do…"

She takes in a deep cleaning breath and focuses on her next words. "I just don't feel like myself right now…. and I don't know what to do."

I don't think I've heard a more heartbreaking statement in my life. "Have you said this to Elliot?"

She snorts, "Are you kidding me? He'll barely talk to me, and even if I tried to say that… he'd take it as an excuse."

"Have you thought about counseling?" I ask, trying to be helpful.

"I can barely get my own thoughts together," she says, holding closer to me, "I need you."

"Well you have me," I tell her, "You're my baby sister, you're practically my daughter, and even when you're making shitty decisions, I'll always love you and I'll always be here for you, whether it is to hold you while you cry or kick your ass when you screw the fuck up."

"Then why aren't you kicking my ass right now?" she asks through tearful laughs.

"Just give me a second…."

**After some extra talk time, Gen and I make our way back to the Easter Festivities. **I know that Grace will wonder where her daughter-in-laws have run off to. I am glad Genevieve and I was able to get a chance to talk. She needs to know that I'll love her through any situation, but she also knows that I am ready and willing to kick her ass when she fucks up. _That's what sisters are for, aren't they?_

When we make it outside, I notice that Genevieve is frozen and tense. I look across the lawn, and I see Elliot talking to a rather large breasted woman. She has to be about our age, and is all over Elliot like a rash.

"What is Laura doing here?" she hisses, "She has got the hots for Elliot and he's definitely not holding back from her."

I sigh in disappointment when I see that Elliot is really soaking up the attention. This so messed up and I don't know what to do. Before I have a chance to say anything, Genevieve finishes my thought.

"Whatever…. He can do whatever he wants," she hisses as he stomps off.

**Two Months Later – Genevieve**

** I need to talk to him, but I don't know how to start this. **Elliot has worked late every night this month, and I can't remember the last time I've had a full conversation with him. He moved back into the bedroom, but he basically uses it for only sleeping, nothing else. He waits until I am dead to the world and then he sneaks into bed with me. I understand he's mad at me, and I know I deserve this.

Karma – that is what this is. I stayed out late, and never communicated with my husband and now he is doing the same thing to me. I have to tread lightly, and not accuse him of anything. I definitely try not to think about Laura fucking Hester, and how badly she'd like to get her hands on my husband. I cannot accuse him of anything tonight.

I just want to have a chance to fix this, and he's not letting me. He's pulling back from me, and while I understand it – I don't want this to go on forever. I am losing my mind…. I don't know what to do.

At midnight, Elliot finally shows up. He nods at me and begins to kick off his boots. He pulls apart his shirt wipes his hands through his hair.

"There is dinner in the refrigerator," I tell him softly, "Have you eaten?"

He nods tersely, "Yep."

He continues to move quietly through the house and all my plans for what I want to say fall out the window. "Ell…?" I prompt.

He looks up at me, his eyes lacking their usual emotions. "Yep?"

"How long am I going to serve my sentence, Elliot?"

I know that statement is a confrontational one, but I am tired and all politeness was gone at about ten. "Excuse me?" he asks, stopping in his tracks.

"When will you be done punishing me?" I ask again, "Because I get it, I deserve this…. I just need to know how much longer I have left to live like this."

"Are you really asking me that right now?" he asks, growing angrier.

"I'm miserable, and you aren't giving me a chance to prove myself to you. I love you, but it's like you don't love me anymore…. That you don't forgive me."

"I don't forgive you," he bites out, "You act like what's happening between us isn't fair and you're being treated unfairly – but this is how I lived FOR MONTHS. MONTHS Gen…. When your career was more important to you then me and the kids…"

"I understand that…." I say, trying to stay calm.

"You don't get it. You think you understand what I've been through, but you don't. You're so damn selfish."

I hunch over the table in defeat, not sure what to say next. "What if we went to counseling?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "Work is busy right now. I don't have time for that."

I regret my next words as soon as they exit my mouth. "How's Laura Hester…. Are her massive breasts keeping you warm at night?" His jaw drops and he shakes his head in shock. "I'm sorry…." I try to spit out.

"I realize that I am angry right now and I don't exactly know how to deal with you," Elliot bites out, so angry with me, "But I would never cheat on you like you did to me. I would never betray you like that and for you to make a comment like that to me is so fucking ridiculous, I can't even look at you."

He stomps up the stairs and I try everything in my power to control the tsunami of emotions flowing through me. I am so fucking stupid, and I hate myself for what I've put him through.

"Mom…." I hear Hayden whisper through the darkness, "Did you cheat on Dad?"

**A/N – Please review! Thanks! **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N1 – Thank you so much for all the response from the last chapter! I don't own FSOG **

**Chapter 13 – Moving along **

**Ana – Fifteen Years (ish) Earlier**

** I make my way to the principal's office quickly, hoping my teacher doesn't notice that I really didn't go to the bathroom like I said. **For the third time this week, Genevieve was sent to the principal's office for disruption and fighting. We've been at our new foster home for almost a month and Gen is not adapting well at all. I keep reminding her that if she keeps acting like this, we could get moved to another foster home. I don't want to get moved again. I am so close to turning eighteen, she just needs to hold on a little while longer.

When I make it into Mr. Hamilton's office, everyone is cleared out and I sag in defeat. "Have Jill and Peter already come by?" I ask as he looks up at me.

He smiles sympathetically. "They have…. Genevieve has been suspended for two days."

"What happened?" I ask, "I know she got in a fight…."

"Miss Steele," he says sympathetically, "Go back to class."

"With all due respect Mr. Hamilton, Genevieve is my sister…. and we only have each other so I need to know…."

"I understand your situation, Miss Steele, but Mr. and Mrs. Harding are in legal custody of you and your sister and they'll take care of the situation."

"You don't understand our situation," I snap at him, unfazed by the fact that he could throw me out of school with my sister, "Did you lose your parents at a young age and have you ever had to deal with foster care and moving around and never ever finding stability?"

He sighs in defeat, "You've got me Miss Steele…. Are you going to try to take custody of your sister when you turn eighteen next month?"

I stop, surprised that he knows my birthday. "Yes. I want to. I'm done with foster homes…. I want to be able to control mine and Gen's future."

He nods, "I understand that, but let me warn you of something." I nod and he continues. "As a parent, sometimes you can't save her. You'll want to…. You'll fight and fight and fight but until Genevieve decides to turn herself around…. You're fighting a losing battle."

He'll never understand. Genevieve and I are different, I am different. I'll kick her butt into shape and I'll fix this. I thank Mr. Hamilton for his time and head back to class.

**Ana – Present Time **

** "Mommy," Josephine beams in my arms, "I get to see my cousin!" **Her beautiful smile is intoxicating, and in this moment – I am surprise by how much she looks like me. I leave a few small kisses on her forehead and she wiggles excitedly.

I love her enthusiasm, but my heart breaks over the situation. Hayden knows everything. She sent me several text messages, and I knew that she just needed to get away. I hope a couple days at my house can calm my baby niece down, but I'm terrified for the state of my sister's family. It seems to be crumbling around all her, and I don't know what to do. I want to save her, I want to fix this, but I can't and I am so frustrated by all of this.

Elliot's truck pulls up, and my stomach tightens. I love my brother-in-law and my heart breaks for him. He loves my sister, and I know that the affair and this entire shitty situation are killing him. Elliot smiles sadly as he walks up with Hayden's suitcase.

"Thank you," he says, sounding exhausted, "You have no idea how much Hayden needs this."

"That's why I'm here, she can stay for as long as she likes," I say as Elliot reaches over to leave Josephine a small kiss on the cheek. Hayden marches up my lawn after her Dad, and I can see how distraught she is. She looks just as tired as her dad.

"Haydeeeen!" Josephine beams.

Hayden smiles a sad smile, "Hey Joey…. Hey Nana, I just want to sleep."

I nod and point upstairs, "Your room is ready for you."

"Thank you," she says as she hugs her Dad, "Bye Daddy… I love you."

He sighs sadly and leans over to kiss Hayden's cheek. "Bye baby, I'll call you tomorrow."

She nods and enters the house. Christian crosses paths with her and joins us on the porch. He reaches for our daughter and nods at his brother. I have a feeling he wants me to talk to Elliot about everything that is going on with him and Gen. Christian has this crazy notion that I am a miracle worker.

"I'll put Josephine to bed and make sure Hayden finds everything she needs…." Christian says, turning back around without another word.

I move to our swinging bench and Elliot joins me. I pull me feet up and prepare myself for this conversation. I am going to need all the strength I can get. "Ok…." I begin, "So tell me everything

"It was pretty simple. Hayden heard us yelling, and she's smart so she figured this out," Elliot says with a huff, "She flipped out…. She started yelling at Gen and screaming that she wanted to run away and a whole bunch of fun preteen dramatic shit."

I snicker, "Gotta love those preteens… They're a rather dramatic species."

"I get it," he says with a shrug, "Gen has always been Hayden's idol. She loves me a lot, but her relationship with Gen was always something I couldn't touch. And now… I don't know what to do."

"I'll try my best…. Maybe a few days away from the situation might help her." He nods and runs his hands through his hair. I'm curious about something and Elliot doesn't seem so upset that he won't answer my question. "Out of curiosity," I begin, "What are you going to do….?"

"Do…. About Gen?" he asks as I nod. He shakes his head, "Christian said I needed to give her a chance to fix everything, but I'm still so fucking mad at her."

Christian said he needed to give her a chance? "Do you think you'll ever not be mad at her?"

He snickers, "Mom always says that you can only be truly mad at someone you really love…. Or something like that."

"She tells Christian that all the time…."

He smiles and shakes his head, "I guess I want to try to fix this. I do love her even when she's pissing me off, and we owe it to our kids to try. I just want her to suffer and feel the same pain I've felt. I love her and she tore my heart out of my chest and stomped on it."

I pout and squeeze his arm. "I'm really sorry El."

He nods, obviously trying to hold back any kind of emotion. "Just…. make sure Hayden is ok…. please?"

I nod adamantly, pleased that I can help in some way. "Of course I will…."

**Three Weeks Later – Genevieve **

** As I step out of SIP for the last time as an author, I am absolutely relieved. **I am finally done with this third book, and all I have left is promotion. Despite it being the last book in my book series, the promotion won't be very time consuming at all. I'm glad; I don't need anything separating me from my family right now.

Hayden came home from Ana's eventually, but she refuses to talk to me. It's like a dagger in my chest to see her upset with me. For the biggest part of my life, it was just me, Hayden, and Ana. It's a different kind of hurt when Hayden and I aren't solid. We'll always have a special relationship, and I feel like I've really fucked everything up with her.

As I climb into my car, my phone rings loudly, screaming at me to pick it up. "Hello," I say mindlessly, trying to fix my makeup.

"I'm surprised you picked up…."

I freeze and look down at my caller ID. _Yep, JR definitely has a brand new number_. I take in a deep breath, trying to figure out how to end this phone call quickly as possible.

"JR…."

"Before you try to hang up on me, just hear me out," he insists, "I just wanted to check on you."

"Check on me?" I spit out, surprised by that response, "Well JR…. my husband hates me…. My daughter is barely speaking to me, and everyone is acting like I am Satan on two feet…."

"Why?" he asked, sounding sufficiently confused.

"What do you mean why?" I snap at him, "You didn't have a traumatic brain injury, did you?"

"Why does your daughter know about what happened….?"

I take in a deep, calming breath. I should just hang up on him now. "She heard me arguing with Elliot."

"Fuck," he hisses, "Gen I'm sorry… I didn't mean for this…."

"JR, it's fine…. Whatever. I shouldn't be talking to you…. So l need to go."

"Wait…. Give me one more answer," he says before I have a chance to hang up, "Is he putting you through hell…. Is he pulling you into counseling excessively…. Making you sleep on the couch?"

My stomach turns at the reference to counseling. We went to one counseling session, and I don't know how to tell Elliot that I am done with any more "counseling" in the future. I was basically given another list of what I need to do to get back into Elliot's good graces, and the counselor hit on Elliot the entire time. When Elliot wasn't in the room, she told me I had a drinking problem and that men shouldn't marry women with mother issues. Seriously.

I realize that I am in the wrong, but I don't need this. If Elliot and I can fix this between us, that's how I want to do it. I really don't want or need anyone else trying to get in the way.

"I need to go JR," I finally tell him. I need to be done with him. I can't entertain the idea that I am willing to listen to anything he says to me. We are over and finished.

"Before you go - this is my new number Gen…. just please call me if you need me." I hang up quickly, throw my phone back into my purse, and drive home as fast as I possibly can.

**A/N2 – Ok, stick with me. I am ALMOST done with the past. I want to get to the present just as bad as you do, and I think I have one more chapter in the past left to get through. Thank you again for reading, I love my readers! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N –So I decided that I am not going to depict Genevieve cheating for a second time. I just thought it was time to move on. Y'all know it happened; we don't need to see it go down. I will talk about it, but I am not going to give you the full scene. We're going to immediately go to the future. **

**Where we are at in this new chapter - The divorce has been finalized and everyone is dealing with life post-divorce. **

**I don't own FSOG! Thanks again for all of your support! **

**Chapter 14 – Picking up the pieces**

**Six Years Earlier – Ana**

** I'm lying on my back with my eyes closed, but I can still feel him moving behind me**. Whenever I fall asleep after we have sex, he tries to stay quiet and not scare me off. I almost feel bad for Ryan; I am never going to be able to give him what he wants. I am such a bitch for keeping this relationship going.

I need to get moving because I don't want him thinking that I plan on staying. When I roll over, Ryan holds me down and shoves his camera phone in my face.

"I have an idea…."

I squirm under his hold and he laughs. "Let me go Ryan…."

"You haven't even heard what I want to do with you…."

"Let's see," I say, still struggling to sit up, "You have your phone in my face…. I don't see this going well at all."

Ryan pulls me close and rolls me over. He licks at my ear and bites at my neck. "I just want some pictures of you…."

"Since I don't have any clothes on…. I'm assuming you want naked pictures?" I squeak out, motioning to my obvious naked form, "No one has ever taken naked pictures of me…."

I hear the tell-tale sound of his camera phone taking a picture, and I shriek. "Ryan!" I screech, "You did not just take a picture!"

"I did," he laughs, "You always leave my apartment so quickly, I want to savor your body for days…. because I miss you when you're gone. You might not miss me but I always miss you."

I sigh deeply while he hovers over me, waiting for an answer. "When you say naked? What do you mean exactly…."

"Ones where you're naked with a rope bound around your body and me choking you…."

My jaw drops in shock, "What the fuck?"

"I'm kidding with you Anastasia," Ryan says with a burst of laughter, "I just want a few hot pictures of the woman I am currently screwing…."

"What a delightful way to word that," I say blankly.

"You know I'd rather say 'naked pictures of my girlfriend' so I guess neither of us are going to get what we want."

I growl and sit up, grabbing his phone out of his hands. "If you're going to do this, at least let me change into my hot lingerie…."

He shakes his head, eyes closed. "I'm not going to object with you on that one baby…."

**Genevieve – Present Time**

**I tug at my hem line and try to smooth out my dress.** The last time I was in counseling, I was seeing a judgmental bitch who couldn't keep her hands off Elliot. Now, I am exactly the type of person that horrible wench predicted I would be. I am divorced, public enemy number one with my kids, and I am spending my afternoon sitting at my husband's therapist's office._ Oh how the mighty have fallen._

"Genevieve Steele," the receptionist says blankly. The use of my new, "un-married name" surprises me so I take a second to compose myself. I finally stand up and follow her into Dr. Flynn's office. When I enter into his office, he smiles sweetly and greets me with a kiss on the cheek. We both take our seats and I take in a deep, cleansing breath.

"The last time I saw a therapist, she wouldn't keep her hands off Elliot and basically called me a whore with a drinking problem."

He shakes his head disapprovingly, "Some people shouldn't be in this line of work….. I'll wait at least until the third session to call you a name."

I snicker and feel my unease fall away. I can always relate to someone who can make a joke. "That's good to know…."

"So," he says with a broad smile, "I know things were tense with you and Elliot for a while, before the divorce…. But I am curious as to what you believe to be the breaking point."

"The breaking point was when I slept for a second time with another man…." I say with an honest shrug.

"That's not what I asked," he corrects, "There is a reason. There was a reason you slept with this man the first time, and there is a reason you slept with him a second time…."

I blow out an exhausted breath. "Geez…. I haven't even been in your office for five minutes and we're already talking about the collapse of my relationship."

He snickers, "We can start small…. But isn't that why you are here…. To figure all of this out with someone who won't judge you for your past?"

I smile appreciatively, "My original purpose was so that Elliot will let me see my kids…. But that works too." Non-judgmental is a character trait that I really need the most right now.

He smiles sadly, "How is Hayden dealing with all of this?"

His concern is exactly where it needs to be. My sweet teenage daughter is an absolute mess, and doesn't want anything to do with me. Ireland and Rocky are starting to understand what's going on, and they're adapting the best they can. It's hard to be fifteen and watching your two favorite people fall apart.

"She hates me," I say through my tears, "When Elliot brings her over, she leaves to her room and doesn't want to be around me."

"How do you feel about that?" he asks in a very shrink like way, "You two have been together since the beginning…."

Tears begin to gather in my eyes and I try to say my next words without losing my mind. "It hurts…. So much. She was not just my daughter, but my best friend."

Flynn smiles sympathetically and hands me a box of tissues. "I just feel like a big massive fuck up. Sorry for the language – I just don't know how else to vocalize how I feel."

He shakes his head, "You forget that your brother-in-law and your ex-husband are both my clients."

I snicker through my tears, "Right, of course…"

"What I am having trouble understanding Genevieve is that you feel like, for a lack of a better term, the black sheep of your family yet you can't tell me why you've put yourself in this position. I don't know how you got here. I don't understand…. And I believe that I am not the only one who doesn't understand this."

"I don't know why…." I tell him honestly, "I don't know why I did this to him…. I don't know why I broke everything apart." That's not completely the true; I have a lot of possible reasons why. I just don't know how to properly vocalize my feelings right now.

"Do you want your husband back in your life?" he asks softly. I am surprised by that question…. I haven't even entertained the idea of reconciling with Elliot. I just can't believe that he'd want me back.

"I don't know," I finally decide.

"Well it seems like you have a lot to think about this week," Flynn says with a confident nod, "You need to think about the answers to these 'I don't knows' that you keep giving me…. That's your homework for the week."

"Ok," I say, wiping my face, "What else…."

"Before we go any further…." he says, shaking his head, "I don't want to accuse or ask you anything that's out of my place, but I do feel like I need to tell you this. We have a therapeutic technique called Solution Based Therapy. This is where you have an end result in mind and you do whatever it takes to get to that solution."

"Ok," I reply, "That sounds simple enough."

"So once you decide what you want, you need to do whatever it takes to get there," he says, nodding firmly, "And that means, eliminating toxic people or toxic behaviors…. And you need to make a firm decision on what those toxic people, behaviors, etc are. I believe that identifying those toxic things is a good first step. I am here to help you with whatever you may believe that might be."

I know what he is trying to say, and I like his coyness about the issue. "Have you been talking to my ex-husband?"

He shakes his head, "Not really…. It's just a bit of intuition."

"Intuition?" I ask.

He smiles and nods, "I've been doing this for a very long time Ms. Steele. But let's move on…."

**When I get out of Flynn's office, his words are still ringing loud in my brain. **

___"So once you decide what you want, you need to do whatever it takes to get there… And that means, eliminating toxic people or toxic behaviors…. And you need to make a firm decision on what those toxic people, behaviors are."_

He should have just added JR to that list of toxic people. I really can't tell you why I am still seeing him. He's basically all I have going for me right now. He's the only one left in my life who doesn't think terrible things about me. He takes me for what I am and doesn't expect much out of me. He lets me just "be" when I am at my worst.

On the other hand, if I want my family back…. He can't be in my life. If I was in love with JR, that would be another story. I'm not in love with him…. He's just there. He's where I go to escape my family, and my life that has already crumbled around me. I know he is bad for me, and I can't keep letting him into my world. I can't explain why, but something deep inside my gut recognizes that he needs to go.

I dial his number and wait patiently for him to pick up. Before I even have a chance to speak, his deep voice comes through my phone. "Listen, I can't see you right now…. I have a meeting."

"Then I'll make this quick," I tell him, "JR…. we need to be finished. We need to move on, and I can't see you anymore." There is silence on his end, and I instantly get nervous. "JR?"

"Why," he snaps suddenly, "Are you trying to fix things with Elliot…. You two just got divorced, what's the fucking point?"

"The fucking point is that I need to figure some things out for myself, and I don't know if I can do that with you in my life.

"I've never done anything…."

"You've done nothing? Seriously?" I interrupt him, "Despite pursuing me when I was originally trying to fix things with my husband."

"Listen to me," he hisses, "My mother tried to make things work with my father, and it didn't work because they grew apart. That's what happened with you and Elliot. You loved each other when you were younger, but you are a smart, brilliant, and savvy author and you aren't even writing anymore because of that prick. If you stay with him…. He will bring you down."

"First of all," I bite back, "You don't know shit about my relationship with Elliot."

"Oh so your relationship with the bastard isn't why you knock down my door every other day…"

I am pretty sure I no longer need any proof that my relationship with JR is toxic. "No, it's because I am drunk enough to sleep with you…."

"You're making a mistake," he spits out angrily, "I am all you have…."

"I want more… and I think the only way to get more is to get rid of you…."

"He'll never forgive you…." JR growls, "You'll always be a cheater in his eyes… you're wasting your time. You and I are perfect for each other…. I can't believe you don't see that."

I hang up before I give him another chance to say anything else.

**Ana**

** Josephine is finally asleep when I decide to take another pregnancy test. **We've been trying for three years to have this baby, and Christian is begging for me to consider IVF. I still believe that my body can do this. I realize that three years is a long time to wait, but I am not giving up on my uterus. I can carry a baby to full term just like I did with my beautiful five year old.

I set the test on the counter and head for the living room. Christian came home late from work, so I set him up with a plate of food before I put my baby to bed. When I enter the kitchen, he smiles brightly.

"I am so glad I am married to a food blogger/author/TV star…."

I laugh at him, "I do what I can for my man…. Is that good baby?"

"So fucking good," he says happily as he finishes his glass of wine, "You're the best, in all areas of life."

I shake my head at him and begin searching through the mail. On the top of the stack is a manila envelope addressed to Christian. I throw the envelope at him, and chuck the rest of our junk mail into the trash…. Even billionaires get junk mail.

"I took another pregnancy test…. I have a couple more minutes. That envelope is addressed to you."

He wisely doesn't say anything about my newest pregnancy test and opens his envelope without another question. I turn and practically bounce back to the bathroom; hopefully my test is ready by now. I've gotten several false positives over the years, but I still get excited over the possibility of getting a positive. I check the time, and look down at the pregnancy test.

"Positive?" I breathe in shock, "Holy hell, I got a positive…. CHRISTIAN! CHRISTIAN!"

"ANASTASIA," he responds back. He sounds angry, and I am not sure why he sounds so mad. "Anastasia, what the fuck is this?" he screams through the house.

In complete confusion, I try to find my husband. We meet at the door to our bedroom and I try to smile. "Baby, it says I am pregnant…. the test says I am pregnant," I say, pointing to the bathroom.

"What the fuck is this?" he snaps as he practically throws the envelope in my direction. I pick up the envelope and its contents and my jaw drops.

"What the hell are these?" I hiss while I stare at naked pictures of myself. "Holy shit, Christian…. I don't know what these are…. I've never taken naked…."

Wait just a fucking second…. I have taken naked pictures of myself one time in my life. Ryan took naked pictures of me while we were together. Something is not adding up, why did we get these in an envelope in what seems to be a blackmail attempt? There is no way Ryan would send me the copies like this, he is not vindictive by nature. But of course, how could I ever explain that to my angry, irrational husband?

"Ryan?" he snaps, understanding who might have done this.

"Ryan saved them to his phone," I whisper in disbelief, "And I know he wouldn't…."

"I'm going to murder him," he interrupts me, storming out of the house in a rampage; "I am going to fucking kill that fucker."

Fucking hell, it's going to be a long ass night.

**A/N – Please leave a comment! Thanks! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N – I don't own FSOG.**

**Chapter 15 – The Cloud **

**Ana**

** "Where are you going?" I yell at my husband as I sprint across the lawn.**

"Where do you think I am going?" he snaps as he very athletically jumps into the driver seat of his R8. I feel my stomach clench and my hormones kick into high gear when I see my beautiful husband so agile and hot. I smile to myself_, I definitely have pregnancy hormones. _

"Let me go with you at least," I say as I move to the passenger side. Christian reaches across the car and opens the door for me. Christian turns and nods at the security detail standing in the circle drive.

"Watch our daughter please…. She is asleep upstairs. This shouldn't take long."

"Yes sir," he says as he immediately walks for the house.

Christian pulls out of the driveway and speeds toward the gate. When the gates open, he doesn't waste any time and drives quickly to the highway. I can feel his anger through his sharp driving.

"Christian…. Can you slow down? I am pregnant after all."

The fact suddenly hits him and he immediately slows down. "You are?" he asks, his voice still stern.

I nod, "I told you…. That's what the test said. You must have not heard me over your angry yelling."

After several moments of silence, I see him smile. "You haven't gotten a pregnant reading in a year," he points out, "We'll go to the doctor on Monday. We'll figure this out."

He's right. After several miscarriages, I had a year of absolutely nothing. This is big, and I hope this pregnancy stays. I almost don't want to go to the doctor; I don't want anything to ruin the hope I have buried deep inside of me.

"So does this mean you aren't mad at me anymore?" I ask him.

He shakes his head, "He took naked pictures of you and is threatening to leak them…"

"You didn't say anything about threatening to leak them," I interrupt him, completely shocked. He reaches underneath his seat and hands me a typed letter. I shake my head as I read the simple note.

"Ryan wouldn't do this…."

"Again," Christian snaps, "You're defending him. You defended his position at the gallery and now, when those pictures obviously belonged to him, you are defending him for a second fucking time. How do you think that makes me feel?"

His words cut me and I know that I need to affirm him right now. He needs to understand what my relationship with Ryan was really like. It wasn't the extreme love affair that he thinks it was.

I know he sees Ryan as the bomb that combusted our engagement the first time around, but he wasn't. I was the bomb that combusted our relationship. Ryan was just the willing party to help me out when I was too afraid to marry Christian. My relationship with Ryan has been nothing but me using him for my own gain.

"Baby," I say, placing a hand on his knee, "Ryan has never meant anything to me."

"Anastasia…." He replies sternly.

I wave him off, "Let me finish this." I take in a deep breath and gather my words. "He filled a void in my life, Christian. When I was terrified about committing…. When something that meant so much to me was moving so fast…. He played a part in helping me gain my control back. I am not making any sense."

Christian shakes his head. "No… you're doing fine. Keep going."

I gain a little more confident and continue. "In New York, I missed you so much I could barely breathe. I didn't know what to do so I used Ryan for comfort. I used him to get to New York and I used him once I was in New York. I have spent my entire relationship with Ryan using him to get what I want and I feel so guilty. I was weak, and he was my enabler." This almost sounds like my sister's relationship with JR, and I instantly feel gross.

We sit in silence and I watch him. He won't look at me, but I can't help but think he has softened slightly. That might be wishful thinking, but I think my words have hit him just a little.

"I know things are weird right now because of our Elliot and Gen's divorce…. But I am not my sister. We aren't them. I love you and the idea of anything separating you from me is unthinkable… I can't be apart from you," I say as he pulls over to the side of the road. I don't ask him why he has stopped the car, I know why. He turns to me and I grab his face. "It's you and me baby …. Nothing on this earth can separate me from you….. You're stuck with me, Grey."

He leans over and kisses me softly. He doesn't say a word to me; I can feel what he's thinking. He'll probably still beat the crap out of Ryan, but at the end of the day he knows that I love him and that's what we need right now. I don't want Ryan, Gen and Elliot's relationship, or anything else to challenge his faith in us.

After a few more kisses, I kiss his forehead and then his cheek. "Do you want to go home and get naked?"

He pulls back onto the street. "Nice try…. We're still going to Ryan's."

**We pull into the driveway of a home that I don't recognize, and I suddenly realize what's going on. **"Is this Ryan's house?"

He snorts, "Despite our talk earlier, I am still relieved that you don't know that this is Ryan's house."

"Of course I don't know where Ryan lives," I practically yell at him, "I have a work relationship with him only. I keep telling you that."

"You know that there is still a chance that he did send those photos," he points out as he reaches for the envelope in question, "I love that you're so trusting of people, but he could still be a bastard." He is right and I need to let Christian handle this. I don't want Christian to be right, but there is still a possibility that Ryan really is trying to fuck us over.

We get out of the car, and I follow him to Ryan's front door. "How did you know where he lives?" I ask him as we walk together. He shakes his head at me and I know I shouldn't have asked. Of course Christian knows exactly where Ryan lives.

"Promise me you will not intervene," Christian says before he knocks.

"What are you going to do?" I ask as he moves me away from the front door.

"Do not try to stop what is about to happen," he warns as I step back.

Once Christian see that I am a good distance out of the way, Christian knocks loudly and yells for Ryan to open up. I wait nervously and as soon as Ryan opens the door, Christian punches him in the face. I gasp and move back even further.

"Christian!" I scream at him, "You didn't need to punch him!"

"What the fuck Grey?" Ryan hisses through the pain. There is blood dripping from his nose, and I know it has to be broken.

Christian surprisingly doesn't go in for a second punch and he helps him into the first available chair on Ryan's porch. Christian nods at me and reaches for the envelope. I hand him the envelope and Christian practically tears through the paper. He pulls out a photo and shoves it into Ryan's face.

"Recognize these pictures, motherfucker?" Christian hisses as Ryan's eyes adjust. He's holding on to his dripping nose and trying to look at the pictures at the same time.

"What the fuck are these?" Ryan snaps through the pain. Christian hands him another picture and Ryan grabs the envelope out of his hand.

"That's why I'm here…." Christian snaps, "What the fuck are these?"

Ryan shakes his head adamantly as he sorts through the pictures, "I deleted these. A long fucking time ago…. I haven't had these in a while."

"Then why were they sent to my home with a threat to make them pubic," Christian bites, annunciating every word.

"It wasn't me…. I would never do shit like that," Ryan says, still holding his nose, "I would never do that. I don't know how they got those pictures….. shit." Ryan looks up to me, and I see a sincere apologetic expression in his eyes. "Ana…. I would never do that to you…."

"Then why are we being blackmailed?" I ask him quietly, "Are they still saved on your computer or ICloud or something that could get into someone's hands…."

As soon as I say the word "ICloud", Ryan's expression turns bleak. He may have deleted those pictures off his phone, but they still saved to his ICloud. Anyone could hack into his ICloud or his laptop memory and get to his pictures. Very quickly, this is all making sense.

"I was fucking set up," Ryan says angrily, "Somebody set me up…."

Christian begins pacing his patio, and I know he's trying to think of what to do next. Ryan's nose has stopped bleeding and he is running his hands through his hair in frustration. I am standing in front of two very lost men. I need to think of something, we need to find a way to get out of this.

"Call Barney," I tell Christian, "He can figure this out…. Or give us some sort of idea who did this."

Christian stops and turns to Ryan. I see the wheels clicking inside of Christian's brain and I know that he has snapped out of his jealous rage. "I'm calling my head of security and he'll most likely take possession of your technology."

Ryan nods in consent, "Ok… that's fine."

"If we find out that you are lying through your teeth and you did this shit…. You'll get a lot more than a broken nose," Christian threatens.

"I honestly don't blame you," Ryan snickers painfully as he turns to me, "Ana…. I promise... I would never do this. You're a mom and you are doing so well right now with your new cooking projects…. I wouldn't ever try to ruin any of that for you."

I nod and try to force out a smile. "Let's just hope we can figure this out before it's too late."

**Ryan**

** The Greys are gone and I make my way through my house, looking for a way to clean up my nose. **Chanel is upstairs, waiting for me, and I know I am going to have a lot of explaining to do. _"Hey babe, so I know it's weird that Ana is your friend, former boss, and my ex-girlfriend, but I just got punched by her husband because old naked pictures that I took are about to be leaked to the press… but hey, I love you."_ Chanel is going to flip out, and I don't know what to do. I begin trying to clean up in the guest bathroom in hopes that she doesn't see that Christian fucked up my nose.

"Was that Ana and Christian?" she asks, suddenly appearing behind me. I swear, the woman is a ghost.

"It was…." I say, trying but failing to hide my appearance.

"Ryan!" she gasps, "What the hell happened?"

With a resigned sigh, I explain as much as I can. My nose really does fucking hurt and it's making it hard to talk painlessly. As I tell her the story, Chanel steps in and helps me clean up.

"I hope the naked pictures of me that you took don't get leaked," she says with a snarky smile.

"You aren't married to Christian Grey so I doubt anyone in Seattle would care…." I tell her with an apologetic shrug, "But you do have a nice ass baby…. it might even be better than Ana's."

She gasps and smacks me on the arm. "She's my friend…. That's gross."

"Does she know about us?" I ask as she shakes her head.

"I didn't want it to be weird…." Chanel admits, "I'll tell her eventually. But we have bigger problems…. Who hacked into your account?"

I groan in annoyance, "I don't fucking know. Grey's team is on it, but I want answers now."

"Don't you know people who can get you answers?" she asks.

I smile through the pain. "I do have people who can help me find the answers I need."

"Then I suggest you figure this out before those pictures get leaked," Chanel says sternly, "Her career is so hot right now…. and she has Josephine. You need to make this right."

"I'll make it right," I tell her with a confident nod, "We'll get to the bottom of this… or die trying."

**Genevieve**

** There are some days when I am really glad that I live with my sister. **Tonight, I have all three kids and Ireland left her favorite stuffed animal at her father's house. My baby girl has been inconsolable all evening and I know she won't be able to sleep without it. Ana is watching the kids, so I can make the quick trip to Elliot's house myself.

Right now, our relationship is as normal as you can possibly expect from two people who just got divorced. Life has slowed down and I am so relieved. We're trying to keep things as normal as possible for our babies, and the kids seem to be responding ok to the changes. Elliot and I talk about the kids only, and we keep things civil during pickups and drop offs. At first, we were going to have a third party take the kids back and forth between us, but we decided that the kids should see us acting civilly to each other.

Hayden and I still aren't on great terms, but she isn't completely ignoring me. When she needs motherly advice, she goes straight to my sister. It hurts that she doesn't want to come to me with her problems anymore, I am still thankful that Ana is there for her. For right now, our lives are as good as they can be.

I've been trying to call Elliot all night but he hasn't picked up. I really sincerely hope he is home. Ireland is a lot like me, when she doesn't get what she wants - she flips out. I don't want to deal with a screaming mini-me all night.

When I pull up to the front of Elliot's house, I get a call from Christian. Christian rarely speaks to me while we are in the same room together, so the fact that he is calling me now is a surprise. I answer as I make my way to Elliot's door.

"You may not want to go over there," Christian says as soon as I answer, "Let me pick up Ireland's animal. You don't need to be there."

"I'm already here," I tell him as I knock at the door, "Why can't I be here?"

Christian groans, "Elliot's girlfriend is over tonight…."

My heart stops beating inside my chest. Girlfriend? If it's Kate Kavanagh, I might shit a brick. Oh wait, Kate is still married to that NFL Quarterback. "He has a girlfriend? Please don't tell me it's the slut who works for him."

The door opens and my heart freezes. This girl is definitely not Laura Hester, it's Elliot's twenty one year old nanny. She is wearing one of his shirts and a big nasty smile.

"Ms. Steele," she snarls happily, "Elliot is getting dressed…. Can I help you?"

Before I put myself in jail, I turn around and head back to my car. Sorry Ireland, Mommy isn't getting you your stuffed animal tonight.

**A/N – Things are happening! We'll get there soon! Please comment! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N – Thank you so much for all of your support! I don't own FSOG **

**Chapter 16 – I'm Lonely Without You **

** Why am I so damn nervous about seeing Genevieve? **I have nothing to apologize for. I had a girl over, and Gen saw it. She has no right to be mad at me, and I have done nothing wrong. _But fuck, I really didn't want her to see me with Melissa. _

Tonight, Gen is dropping the kids off and I want to make sure she's ok. She fucks up our relationship and I want to make sure she is ok – what the fuck is wrong with me? I should be rubbing this in her face. I should be trying to make this hurt more, but I can't. I still love her. Her happiness still means something to me, and I wish I could be more of a bastard and wish the worst for her. My kids happiness and her happiness is intertwined, I can't be selfish. I can't be vindictive where Genevieve is concerned. Genevieve might be willing to do that, but I need to be the bigger person.

Oh… and I am still in love with her for some god damn reason. She ripped me to shred, and I hate her but fuck me. I still love my ex-wife. When I look at Hayden, Rocky, and Ireland, I see Genevieve. I can't let go of the good times, I can't forget what we had together. I can't let go and it's killing me.

Genevieve has remained quiet lately. Ana told me that she cut things off with JR, and I am relieved. Since Gen has been going to therapy, her life has been calm and peaceful and I couldn't be happier. Since she began living under Ana's roof, she has helped Ana with her burgeoning career and has remained under her watchful eye. My kids need their mother to be peaceful, Genevieve needs to be calm.

I still think there is more to Genevieve's infidelity and downward spiral then meets the eye, and I really don't know how to handle her anymore. The biggest reason (besides the infidelity) Genevieve and I got a divorce is because I don't understand what's going on with her and she won't let me in. I don't understand her decision making, I don't understand what she wants from me, and she isn't interested in giving me the spark notes version of her brain.

_She's a mess and I am caught up in her web. _

The SUV coming up the drive catches my attention and pulls me out of my thoughts. I realize very quickly that Christian is dropping off my kids, and not Genevieve. She's avoiding me. I knew this would happen.

"Fuck," I whisper under my breath. I head down the drive and meet the car half way. Rocky and Ireland both jump out first and practically leap at me. I hold them close and kiss the tops of their leads. I hate sharing them, I hate that they split time between me and Genevieve.

Once Ireland and Rocky step aside, Hayden falls into my arms next. I've been trying to get her to keep things civil with her mother. Like a true teenager, she is fighting civility every step of the way. I am almost tempted to bring her to counseling with me because she's been through so much. From me not showing up till she turned three to mine and Genevieve's contentious divorce, my daughter has dealt with a lot in fifteen years.

"Were you nice to your mother?" I whisper in her ear.

She shrugs, "I had a conversation with her."

"Was it a nice conversation?" I ask.

"The counselor at school says it's normal for teenagers to fight with their mothers," she informs me, "Mom and me are just following protocol."

She's seeing the counselor at school…this is news to me. "First of all, you didn't answer my question and second, since when have you seen a counselor at school?"

"It's a requirement for anyone going through a big life ordeal. And yes Dad, it was a nice conversation," she says with an annoyed huff. Jesus Christ, I am not prepared to be the father of a teenager. She needs to slow down the aging process just a tad.

Christian comes around from the driver side and smiles at me. "Just wait till Josephine turns fifteen," I joke with him, turning to Hayden, "I need to talk to Uncle Christian so please go inside and make sure Ireland and Rocky don't kill each other." Maybe Christian will be able to give me the information I need about Genevieve.

Hayden smirks and heads for the door. "Have fun you two. Behave."

Once Hayden is out of earshot, I turn to my brother. "Is she mad?"

He shakes his head, "She feels awkward so she decided to stay away…."

I shake my head, "I didn't mean for them to see each other. I really didn't want anyone to know about Melissa."

He snickers, "You told me it was a one-time incident…. Why was she there a second time?"

I run my hands through my hair, "Oh God, do I really have to talk about this with you?"

"I'm your brother…. So when will the wedding be?"

"Shut the fuck up," I snap at him, "As soon as I got divorced, Melissa came on to me full force…. And I couldn't stop her. I tried to stop her, but who am I kidding? I am only a man…. A man who hasn't had sex in a while."

"She's twenty-one," Christian chastises me, "Hayden is almost sixteen…. Did you not think about that at all?"

"Fuck you," I snap at him, trying to shake his words out of my brain, "I am going to end this with her."

"I just don't understand why you started anything with your nanny to begin with…."

"Did you not hear me?" I laugh, "She came onto me and I haven't had sex in a WHILE…. She was the sun and I was an ice cube." He laughs at me and I want to slap him. "Don't talk to me… I hate you. I'm telling Mom that you're being an asshole. I hope you and Ana never go through a divorce…"

"From your mouth to God's ears," he says softly, "So…. you're going to end this with her?"

"I'm ending it," I repeat.

"Because you shouldn't be sleeping around like you did pre-Gen…. you need a real relationship."

I laugh at the thought. I can barely keep my head above water right now. I am trying to figure out how to be divorced while having a life. The thought of a relationship right now is too much.

"We'll see how that goes…." I say as Christian turns to leave, "Wait…. How is Gen?" I'm almost afraid to ask.

"She seems good. She's helping Ana a lot, and I think she's just trying to stay out of trouble," he says looking at his phone, "No sign of JR at all."

That bastard needs to stay far away from my wife and my kids. "Thank fuck for that…."

"And she's going to her therapy," he adds.

"Is she still drinking heavily?"

"Not that I can see," he says, shaking his head, "I tell Ana to watch her drinking, but I don't even think she sees it. I think she doesn't want to see it."

"Just watch her, ok?" I ask him.

He nods, "I'll add that to my ever growing to do list." He rolls his eyes and I know he's hiding something.

"Would you like to share whatever is on your mind, brother?" I prompt him as he shakes his head.

"Do you remember Ana's ex-boyfriend, Ryan?" he begins.

After what I've been through, I do not like how this sounds. "Yes…." I blurt out nervously.

"Well apparently, when they were together…. he took nude pictures of her…. And now we're getting blackmailed with them."

_Holy mother of fuck_. "Are you serious?"

He shakes his head, "I have my tech team on it, we're trying to figure out who is threatening us before they post the pictures."

"Are they asking for money?" I ask.

He nods his head, "I could pay the bribe easily, but this fucker purposely sought out dirt on my wife and is using it against us. I am not going to let this go easily. If I let it go easily, it could happen again and again…."

My brother never takes shit from anybody, especially where Ana is concerned. They've been threatened before and Christian makes sure any dirty-dealing fucker is dealt with instantly. It is probably killing him that he has no idea who is behind this. "Any idea who could be doing this?"

I see the stress flare in his eyes, and I know this situation is killing him. He wants to know and he wants to know now. He shakes his head and gives me a tight smile. "We're still trying to figure this shit out."

**Genevieve **

** When I became a parent at seventeen, I knew that bribing children was not the best way to deal with behavioral issues. **Bribing is always effective in the moment, but it could possibly set a negative precedent for the future. For example, when I bribed Hayden at three years old with candy in exchange for not throwing a tantrum in a department store, she automatically assumed that was the magic trick to get more candy in the future. I needed to go back to the drawing board after I made that fatal error.

Times have definitely changed and having a child throw a tantrum in a department store is the least of my worries. Hayden tolerates me, and I plan on changing this tonight. I am throwing her (with the help of Ana and Christian… and maybe a little help from Elliot if he decides to stay away from twenty-one year old vagina long enough to focus) a huge blowout fifteenth birthday. Now, I realize my party can't be huge, sixteen is next year and we need to save a lot of the excitement till then, but I want it to be big enough so she might not hate me so much.

"Are you sure you're not a little over your head?" I hear Ana's voice from the driveway, "I don't think the tents should be on the front lawn…."

"Where else should the tents be?" I huff as she giggles, "You and Christian have been gone for so long…. You should have been here ten minutes ago."

She laughs, "Sorry, I didn't realize we were so needed for party prep. But tell those guys to set them up in the back…. I can't believe you got pink tents."

"It kind of reminds me of her third birthday," I say wistfully, "When we made everything pink. It was so perfect."

Ana sighs and links arms with me, "Those were the days…. but I am glad we have Christian's money to spend now."

I scoff, "Excuse me missy, I am using my book budget for this."

"Yep," she nods with a smirk, "Still stubborn."

I know she is trying to walk down memory lane, but I am not really in the mood to remember the old days. I was Hayden's world back then, and now I am barely an afterthought. The thought hurts so much, I can barely breathe.

"I need a fucking drink…" I huff, "Why were you guys gone for so long anyways?" I need to change the subject desperately.

"Um…. I'll tell you in a second," she says with an anxious smile. I nod at her and begin barking orders to those setting up the party. The tents begin their move to the back and I move on to inspecting the caterers work and the finished flower arrangements. Tonight everything will be pink, from the tents to the flowers to the table cloths. After all these years, Hayden still loves pink.

When I settle back into Ana's side, she is beaming at me. "Fuck it," she sighs, "We were going to tell everyone once Grace and the kids got here, but who cares. I'm pregnant."

My jaw drops. "Holy hell! You are?" I squeal with her. She is so full of joy; I can't help but be wrapped up in it with her.

"I made it to my second trimester," she says, breathing out a sigh of relief, "Everything has been different about this pregnancy…. Including the fact that Christian and I are having twins."

"Holy fuck - fucking twins?" I scream so loudly that everyone turns to look at me.

Ana smacks me on the arm. "Really?"

"Sorry…. I'm just so happy for you!"

She bursts into tears, "I'm so happy…. I can't believe this is finally happening. We told Josephine and I have never seen a five year old so thrilled in my life. Christian is so proud too…. This is everything that I have ever wanted."

We hold each other, and I soak in this moment. I have never been so happy for my sister. After everything she has been through in thirty five years and every disappointment she has endured – I am just so happy for her. This is what true joy feels like.

"I love you A."

She laughs through her tears, "I love you too G." We hold each other and cry, and I have never felt more blessed to call Anastasia Grey my sister.

**All of the party preparations reach a stopping point and I wait patiently in the front of the house for my family to arrive. **The kids are with Elliot this week, so I've been text messaging Hayden for all last minute party detail questions. She has answered every question without a fight and it's nice that she is talking to me again, even if it's about party favors.

When Elliot's car pulls up to the front, I am surprised that I don't see Elliot driving his own car. Hayden is in the driver seat, and that doesn't surprise me. She is fifteen so she finally has her permit. I am surprised by who is in the passenger seat. Actually, surprised isn't the right word. Enraged, livid, infuriated, and downright outraged fits better.

Laura Hester gets out of the passenger side and laughs openly with Hayden. Hayden looks so damn thrilled to be with her, and as my kids pile out the car, they all seem easy and relaxed with her too. Elliot follows behind, smiling brightly as all five of them head right towards me. I try to fix my expression, but I know I am failing miserably.

"Mommy!" Ireland squeals when she sees me. I drop to my knees and she runs straight for me. I pick her up and hold her close. "Mommy…. Lau-ra taught Haydeeen to drive."

"I see that," I say, pushing back anger. Rocky joins me, and it's obvious that they're the only two that are happy to see me.

Laura falls to Elliot's side and Hayden looks like Elliot is bribing her to talk to me. "Hey Mom," she slurs out, looking down at her shoes, "Thanks for the party."

"You're welcome," I choke out, "It reminded me of when I set up for your third birthday…."

"I don't remember that," she says, shaking me off, "Laura, can you show me how to do your eyes… I think it will go so well with my dress for tonight."

"Of course I can," Laura volunteers happily as she pushes past me. They both walk upstairs to Hayden's room and I feel my heart breaking with every step.

"Don't look so stunned," Elliot tells me once they're gone, "You asked for this, remember…."

"I never asked to replaced," I whisper under my breath.

"You aren't being replaced," Elliot says, walking past me, "Being replaced is much more permanent then my girlfriend helping our daughter with her makeup… trust me, I know."

"Girlfriend? What happened…."

"Christian told me I should move on for real…." Elliot snaps back, "So I thought I'd try things with Laura. She's always liked me. I finally get what you've always been saying to me." I clench my teeth, holding back anything nasty to say to him. He scoffs and shakes his head at me, "Don't look so shocked Gen, you wanted this…. Remember?"

**I'm on my third glass of wine by the time I make it to Hayden's room. **Laura Slutster is finally finished applying Hayden's makeup, and I'd like a minute with my daughter before her best friends arrive. I enter her room and she stays silent as I sit down next to her. She looks like a star, and I am actually impressed by slut face's handiwork. Hayden does look perfect for her birthday.

"Hey honey, are you excited? It looks great out there."

She nods, "Thanks Mom…. I really appreciate this."

My heart warms a little, "It was nothing…. I've been planning your birthdays for years."

She puts her mascara down and turns around in her chair. "You haven't planned a birthday for me since I was ten."

I shrug, "You told me you didn't want a big party so I didn't plan you a big party. I planned your birthdays before then…"

"What is this Mom?" she says in an admonishing tone, "This doesn't seem genuine."

I freeze, "What are you talking about?"

"Next year," she begins, "You'll get me a car… one that is more expensive than anyone else's at school. The year after that, it'll be a trip to Paris, and then when you eventually marry someone else and start a new family…. You'll send me a big lump sum every year."

"What are you talking about?" I breathe.

"This is a bribe…. I know one when I see one."

"Hayden…. It's not a bribe," I tell her honestly, "You want honesty? Fine…. I haven't felt like your mother for months so I wanted to do something over the top for you….. Am I wrong for wanting to do something for you?"

"If you wanted to be my mother, then you'd be around," she snaps at me, "And you'd still be around if you didn't screw over Dad and break his heart."

"Hayden Carla…."

She shakes her head, "I love you Mom, but right now…. I kind of hate your fucking guts. I'm going to find Laura…."

"My replacement?" I whisper under my breath.

"She may have been Dad's girlfriend for a hot second, but at least she's not trying to pretend to be my mother…."

I sink to my knees when I hear the door slam behind me.

**My head is blurry and my muscles feel so weak. **I pull myself off the floor and am surprised to find myself in Christian's office. How the fuck did I get in here?

I look out the window, and see that Hayden's party is still going on strong. No one cares that I am not down there. I wouldn't be surprised if Hayden started introducing Laura to everyone as her mother. I shake my head and finish the scotch that's sitting on Christian's desk. It burns as it moves down my throat.

I move slowly to the door and peer outside. From his office, I make out four people sitting in the kitchen.

"This has to be some kind of mistake," I hear Ana say, "There is no way…. She would have told me if this was true…."

"He probably held it over her head," I hear a strange, but kind of familiar voice chime in, "That's what men like that do…. That's how they treat women…. Like they're property…."

"Fuck…. Have you seen her tonight? Where the fuck is she?" That's Elliot's voice…. I think.

I shake my head and search for my phone. When I find it, I see a text message from an unidentified number.

_ "I know you hate me, but I am so lonely without you, baby. Come back to me. I love you Gen." _

Fuck this party, and fuck my miserable fucking life. I am going to find JR. 

**A/N - Ok lurkers, I know you are out there. Please review…. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again for all of your support!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N – Hopefully we'll clear up any questions we had from the last chapter! Thanks guys for all your responses… and to my lurkers - you did me proud, I hope to see you around… you guys are delightful. Lol. Thank you everything! I love my readers! **

**I don't own FSOG **

**Chapter 17 – The other side**

**Elliot **

** I hate having to rush to get ready. **At work today, the roof on one of my houses fell through because two idiotic former employees were careless and didn't watch what they were doing on the job. Luckily no one got injured, but it set back my day quite a bit and I don't have time to waste. Tonight is Hayden's birthday, and I know showing up late with the fifteen year old of honor would be tragic to my ex-wife and my sister-in-law. I can't piss the party planners off tonight.

Once I am finally dressed, I rush into the living room, praying that Hayden got the little kids dressed so we can leave for the party as soon as possible. The sight I am greeted by in my kitchen surprises me completely. Ireland and Rocky are both seated at the table holding their gifts for Hayden and being shockingly quiet. At the kitchen counter, Hayden is getting her make up done by Laura Hester.

What the fuck is Laura doing here? After I ended things with Melissa, I went on one date with Laura. Laura likes me and the kids were with Genevieve and Ana for the day. We haven't had sex, but we shared a really damn good kiss at her front door. Even with all of that, I most definitely did not invite her over today.

When she sees me, her face lights up and she addresses my obvious confusion, "I came to drop off some paper work from the accident today. I thought you might want it before Monday morning."

Hayden whirls around, "Accident? Dad?" I want to smile at Hayden's concern; it reminds me so much of when Genevieve used to be so concerned with any accident that happened on the job.

I shake my head in reassurance, "No one got hurt. Don't worry honey."

She sighs in relief and turns back to Laura. "Good… you worry me sometimes."

I snort, "Are you two ready? We have a party to get to."

"I'm almost done," Laura said, "When I was married…. I worked as a makeup artist. Now that I'm divorced, I had to get a real job."

"I didn't know you were divorced," Hayden says with surprise, "Dad…. Did you know that Laura was divorced?"

I see right through Hayden. "Are you trying to set me up?"

She shrugs her shoulders, "So sue me for trying to make sure you're happy, Dad. I'm not going to be around to take care of you forever."

I'm shocked and touched by Hayden's words. Laura sighs happily. "That's really lovely Hayden…."

Hayden shrugs and I move across the room and pick Ireland up. She squeals and giggles and I kiss her cheek. "Let's go…. we have a party to get to."

"Laura isn't finished…." Hayden whines, "Can't she just come with us." I want to say – _your mother would shit a brick, _but I hold back.

"I don't think that's a good idea…."

"I can help," Laura suggests, "Since it'll be a big production."

"Laura is a makeup artist Dad," Hayden insists, "I'll never have a makeup artist do my make up for anything ever again….. Please Daddy! It's my birthday!"

I sigh in resignation, and turn to Laura, "Do her makeup, and then leave…."

"Got it boss!" Laura says with a cute smirk.

I am pretty confident that Genevieve is going to kill me.

**As we pile in the car, Hayden begs for me to sit in the passenger side while she drives. **Hayden got her permit several days ago with Ana and has been begging to drive. Before I can get in the car, I get a text message that I really didn't need tonight.

_**This is Ryan, Ana's work friend. I've been told that I need your permission to show up at your daughter's birthday tonight. I have information on your wife's ex and it's not good. You need to hear this.**_

__Tonight is my daughter's birthday; I don't want any mention of fucking JR. "Elliot?" Laura asks, trying to pull me into the moment. I realize that everyone is standing around the car, waiting for my direction.

"Just sit in the passenger side, Laura." I say as I help my two youngest in their car seats. I sit in the back with them and focus on the conversation at hand.

_**Why are you bringing this up on the night of my daughter's birthday? **_

__The reminder of fucking JR is a stab to my heart and my gut. How dare Genevieve do this to us? How dare she let him take her away from me? How dare she make me hate and love her? I might love her, but I feel rabid hatred flow through my veins. _I was in love._ I had everything I wanted under one roof and she blew it all to hell. If I weren't sitting between Ireland and Rocky, I'd physically lose my fucking mind right now.

"Are you ok?" Laura asks sweetly from the passenger seat.

Ryan's next text message comes through.

_**Because it's a game changer….**_

__I nod at her and am relieved to see that Hayden is driving really well. I send back a response and put my phone in my pocket.

"It will be…."

**I pissed Genevieve off, I know I did. **I exaggerated the fact that Laura is my girlfriend, but I am tired of treating her with kid gloves. I feel like I am always treating Gen like she's fragile. I'm done. She threw everything away, and I will not sugar coat the truth any more.

I haven't seen her at all tonight, and I am pissed that she couldn't suck up her pride and actively participate in our daughter's party. I know she and Hayden aren't getting along but Ireland and Rocky miss her, and I would have wanted to see her spend time with them. I shake my head and beat the ground with my foot. I'm all anger tonight, and I can't hold back.

Laura left soon after she finished Hayden's makeup but the damage is already done. Maybe I shouldn't have brought her, but Hayden wanted her here. I am not going to deny my daughter's happiness tonight.

"Alright Grey," I hear a voice say behind me, "Get inside…. You'll want to hear this." Ryan smacks my shoulder and nods for the kitchen. "Ana and Christian are already inside."

"Have you seen Gen?"

He shakes his head, "No, but your mother is out here watching the kids…. Come on. This is big…."

**"Here we go," Ryan says as he smacks several files of information on the table, "So… I went looking for who got into my information and distributed those pictures of Ana." **

"My team couldn't figure out the main source…." Christian says in response, "They are still looking."

"Because there was a firewall to cover up the main sender…. I know this because I went to NYU with the man who created this certain type of firewall," Ryan says, pulling out a last file folder and setting it in the middle of the table, "And I have spent the last month decoding the sender with the help of my friend."

"How do I not have that technology?" Christian asks with obvious shock in his voice. Holy fuck, somebody in this world has outsmarted my brother.

"I'll be sure to send it to you…. You're welcome," Ryan says in a cocky tone. Ana snickers and Christian's scowls. His annoyance with Ryan is palpable.

"Just tell me who did this," Christian snaps at him, "We've been waiting too damn long."

He nods, "Fine…. But before I tell you, wait before you lose your shit because there is more to this than what meets the eye…."

"Just fucking tell us," Christian snaps at him.

"It was JR Irving," Ryan says as Ana gasps, "And there is more…."

What the mother fuck? "What the fuck is JR playing at?" I throw out into the group, "Does he just want to continue to fuck with my family for his own personal gain?"

"Yep," Christian says sternly. I know he is trying to keep it together, but I know he is about to explode. I am right there with him.

"In simple terms, he made himself a ghost in cyber space, and once we brought him into the light…. We were able to see his activities," Ryan explains, "And once we saw his activity, things came to light that I never expected to find."

"What are you talking about?" Ana asks softly.

He nods at her, "Look in that folder…."

Ana reaches over and quickly grabs the folder. She opens and searches through the pages. Within seconds, her skin turns pale and her surprise is evident. She shakes her head adamantly and closes the folder.

"This is a lie, Ryan," she says, terrified, "There is no way…."

Christian and I both tense up and Christian curls a hand around her arm. "What is it?"

"Ryan, please tell me that this is a lie…." She pleads with him. I see tears begin to form and my stomach drops.

"What is it?" Christian asks both of them. I see Christian get instantly protective. "Tell me now," he begs.

"JR searched through Genevieve's past weeks before her book tour," Ryan says in a whisper. _Fuck – that was when she told me that she cheated on me with him._ He continues, "In the folder is a birth certificate and her medical information. On Genevieve's birth certificate, it says that Carla Steele is her mother, but attached to the certificate is documentation that details Genevieve's true birth mother's identity and the rights that she handed over to Ray and Carla Steele."

"This is fabricated," Ana says, interrupting him, "That asshole fabricated the information. I know he did…. This isn't true – Gen is my sister. Gen is my sister, Ryan." This bombshell is fucking with my mind. Are Gen and Ana actually half-sisters or did that liar falsify the documentation? Either way, the fucker fucked with my wife and I feel my protective instincts wake up.

"Ana," Ryan questions softly, "Do you remember your parent's blood types?"

She runs her hands through her hair and turns to me, "They mentioned it at the hospital when Hayden was born…. I didn't really take it into consideration considering I was nineteen and dealing with the birth of my first niece."

"What did they say?"

I see tears fill her eyes and Christian is instantly hovering over her like a helicopter. "They mentioned that Mom was A and Dad was O according to their records…. and they wanted to know what I was because Gen was B. They wanted to see if I could possibly give blood because Gen lost a lot in delivery…. But of course I couldn't because I'm A. God, they really wanted that to click but I was too busy and too young to care. FUCK. Why didn't it fucking click?" Ana is sobbing at this point, and Christian looks absolutely lost. He obviously didn't know any of this, and I know his sense of control is slipping beneath him. My brother's well-oiled information machine really missed something huge….. We all did.

"How is this even possible?" I ask, "What happened?"

"It sounds like their Dad had a woman on the side….."

"It's not possible," Ana says, sobbing and shaking her head madly, "I might have been a kid but I know that nothing changed once Gen was born. There had to have been a fight or something that I missed…. No, this isn't true."

"Your Mother must have made sure that you didn't seem them fight…. Baby, you were a kid, there is no way you could or should have caught this," Christian points out, "Fuck…. I'm getting a new security team tomorrow. This is fucking atrocious. How did we fucking miss this?"

The pieces of the puzzle are finally lining up and I need to make sure I have this all straight in my head. "When did JR access her information?" I ask Ryan.

"From the timeline that Christian gave me when I called him last week, it sounds like before she even promoted her book….at least a month before. He had access to Seattle Independent Publishing's servers so that means he would have still been employed at the time…. so that lines up with what I saw."

I turn to Christian, "That's was before she cheated on me the first time. Remember, the weekend in Phoenix…."

Christian nods, and I see the wheels turning. I've been mad at Genevieve all night, but right now I feel a whole new animal of hatred brewing beneath the surface. This fucker set this up. He masterminded every fucking detail. He knew this would kill Gen, and when she was at her most vulnerable, he went in for the fucking kill. _I'll show him how to really go in for the fucking kill._

"This has to be some kind of a mistake;" Ana pleads again, "There is no way…. She would have told me. My sister would have told me if this were true."

"He probably held it over her head. That's what criminals like JR Irving do…. That's how they treat women, like fucking property," Ryan chimes in.

I need to find her. She's here and Christian, Ana, and I need to confront Genevieve about this. This doesn't absolve Gen of what she has done to our family, but it sure as hell explains a lot.

"Fuck….. Have you seen her tonight? Where the fuck is she?"

"I'll help," Ryan says with a nod, "We'll find her."

"I saw her with a bottle of my gin earlier," Christian says, shaking his head, "I'll help you find her in a second."

Christian kneels next to Ana as she sobs deeply into his shoulder. Fuck, I can only imagine how much this information is hurting Ana. We've all been hit hard and Christian needs to be with his pregnant, heartbroken wife right now.

**Ryan and I scan the loud bustle and chaos of Hayden's party. **Once my daughter finds me, she happily skips up to me and hugs me tight. I almost want to ask if she has been drinking, but I decide against it. This party is being watched, no one brought in alcohol.

"Have you seen your mother?" I ask her.

She rolls her eyes, "No…. why?"

"Hayden, do not be disrespectful to your mother," I snap at her, "Tell me for real…. Have you seen her?"

She shakes her head and looks at her feet, "The last time I saw her was before the party started…. She had a big glass of wine in her hand…."

"Was she ok? No one can find her…."

"She was trying to act like she loved me but I know she was just trying to bribe me with this party…." She hisses angrily.

I freeze. "Did you say that to her? Are you kidding me, young lady?"

She instantly gets defensive. "I am just tired of her acting like that."

I've heard two references of Genevieve drinking this evening, and no one can find her. I am feeling more and more terrified by the minute.

"Listen to me, Hayden and listen to me good. She is your mother, and you need to treat her with respect… I am done…. I am taking your birthday car away. I won't have my daughter acting like a brat to her own mother. You'll learn respect or I'll force you to learn respect." Hayden cries out in frustration as I hear Ryan call my name behind me.

I turn around and notice how anxious Ryan looks. "We need to go," Ryan says as he looks between Hayden and me, "Christian's car is gone…. And if she's been drinking tonight…"

I don't waste any more time as Ryan and I run for the nearest vehicle. I need to get my wife before my kids are left without their mother.

**I see the cop and ambulance lights five minutes out from Christian and Ana's property, and I can't feel anything. **My body knows what is happening before my brain can even begin to process this. I park on the side of the road and I jump out of the car with Ryan tailing behind me. Christian's R8 is on the side of the road and I see Genevieve's body attached to a stretcher.

I drop to the ground and Ryan hunches over me, trying to calm me down. "She isn't wrapped around a pole so I think this is not what you think," Ryan says as he helps me back to the car, "Come on…. Let's go make sure she's ok."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – Intervention**

**Genevieve **

** I pry my eyes open and I try to adjust to what's around me.** I don't know where I am, everything is so dark. I look to my left and my neck immediately throbs in pain. A whimper escapes my lips and I hear movement in the room. Elliot sits at my side and squeezes my hand.

"Hey…. You're ok," Elliot croons as he kisses my forehead.

"Where am I?" I croak out.

"The hospital….," he says softly.

"Elliot, adjust her bed," Ana interrupts him; "I need to see her for this." I hear the controlled anger in her voice, and anxiety fills me. I don't know what Ana has planned, but this isn't good.

Elliot helps adjust my pillows so that they support my neck. I don't remember what I did to myself, but my whole top half is in searing pain and I am thankful for Elliot's help. Once Elliot is finished, I am able to clearly see Christian and Ana seated across the room.

` "Hey…. What happened?" I croak out. My voice is really weak and I'd kill for some water right now.

"We'll get to that," Ana says sternly, "I have a few things we need to get to first."

Elliot sits back down next to Ana and my stoic brother-in-law moves closer to her other side. Tears fill Ana's eyes and she shakes her head. I am shocked that Ana has moved so quickly from anger to sadness. She is pregnant with twins so I don't know why I am so surprised.

"Ana?" I ask, trying to test the waters.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she sobs. Christian squeezes her hand and places a hand on her back.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, trying to wrack my brain for what she could possibly mean.

She tries to wipe her tears and she takes in a deep breath. "I know…. About Dad. And about your mother…"

My heart stops. "How did you find out?"

She scowls angrily, "I think the more important question is why you didn't tell me something so damn important?"

"It's not that important…." I mutter under my breath.

"Don't downplay this Genevieve," Ana snaps, "You will tell me everything right fucking now." When I look at Elliot, I see the same emotion that I see in my sister. I didn't want to tell them, but I guess I don't have a choice.

I take in a deep breath, "When my books became popular, and I was working all the time…. Brian brought on his brother to do background checks on everyone at SIP. So JR did a background on me and discovered that our Mom was not my Mom…."

"Did you know that he went through illegal means to find this information," Christian comments from the side. I cannot believe he has the audacity to say that to me. I would have never known the truth about my mother without him.

"Does it really matter, Christian?" I snap at him, "I lived my whole life thinking that Carla Steele was my mother and in a moment, all of that was crushed."

"Don't snap at him," Ana chastises me, "You were the one who was dishonest and didn't say anything to us…."

"Stop," Elliot pleads, "I'd like Gen to continue…."

My sister calms down and I continue. "So I went to Phoenix for my book signing…. With JR. I know that we know that story, but there is more…. That's where my Mom lives."

Ana nods, "Did you go see her?"

"I did…. And I stunned her and she didn't want me there," I choke out, "She basically handed me off to Mom and Dad and peaced out. Her relationship with her husband held more value than me. He even showed up while we were there…. And she pushed us out. I was more of an annoying houseguest then her estranged daughter."

Ana's expression softens a bit, but both men stay pensive. I don't know what any of them are thinking, and I am nervous. I am really freaking nervous.

"She kicked you out?" Ana finally chokes out.

I nod, "She's never been too enthused with the idea of my existence."

The room stays quiet for a bit longer. I stare at my fingers, pleading with them to tell me what to say next. I look up at my sister, and I see her well of emotion break within seconds.

"So you slept with JR because you were upset about your mother…."

My eyes meander over to Elliot and his eyes are begging for me to give a straight answer. "Yes," I say softly.

"And I want to assume that you never mentioned JR or your mother to anyone because of what you guys did in Phoenix and because JR, a criminal, held over your head this entire situation because he wanted you and wanted to keep you with him…." Ana continues, not hiding how upset she is, "And you fell for it hook, line and sinker."

"That's not the reason I didn't say anything to you…" I shout back.

"Then why did you keep this from us?" she snaps at me, "Why would you do this? I think deep down inside you know that I am telling the truth."

"How would do you know that?" I scoff.

"BECAUSE I AM YOUR SISTER!" she screams, "Because it's been you and me since the beginning. I know you better then I know myself. Don't act like I don't understand you or I don't get it….. I get it Gen."

"You had the perfect mother," I remind her, my voice barely a whisper compared to my sister's screaming, "We might be sisters but we don't have the same DNA."

She shakes her head at me and I see tears streaming down her face. Elliot and Christian aren't saying much, but I see Christian's protectiveness over Ana begging to come out. Christian isn't doing anything because I know he wants her to finish this. I realize this isn't good for the babies and Christian is probably freaking out, but keeping this all inside isn't good for anyone.

"You know what pisses me off the most about all of this," Ana begins, wiping off a few stray tears, "That I have done nothing but love you and care for you since you were a baby…. and when things got hard for you…."

She lets out a sob, and my eyes well up with tears. "When things got hard for you," she continues through harsh sobs, "You didn't come to me or Elliot. You let the lies win. You let that horrible woman and fucking JR bring you down…. And that hurts me. The fact that they hurt you KILLS me; no one is allowed to hurt you. I knew nothing for nineteen years but taking care of you…."

"You have a life Ana," I say, sobbing with her, "You have Josephine and Christian and these new twins….you shouldn't always be trying to take care of me."

"So your answer is to shut me out," she says softly, still crying, "It's to push me away…. It's to push everyone away. That's a fucking cop out Genevieve. I don't care that we're older and have families…. That's a sorry excuse. You let them take you away from me. You let them take you away from your family, and you did nothing but watch. That's not ok."

"I really don't think anyone misses me all that much…."

Those words hit Ana like a brick, and I think I've finally hit the nail in the coffin. If anything kills my relationship with my sister, those words are it. I am such a fucking idiot.

Ana stands up, grabbing her purse and wiping away her tears. "Ana…." I plead.

"I need to go," she says, anxiously readying herself for her departure, "You are going to rehab and you're going to figure your shit out. Despite what you think, you have three kids who need their mother and I refuse to let you run your life into the ground…."

"Rehab?" I ask, secretly hoping more questions will keep her here.

"You were found on the side of the road," Elliot answers for her, "Since you weren't driving and the circumstances that brought you there are unknown, and we definitely aren't going to fill in the pieces, they aren't charging you with a DUI, but rehab and community service will keep you out of court."

I nod at Elliot as Ana turns and walks out of my hospital room. Christian follows her and my eyes stay plastered to my door even when the door shuts behind them. Elliot and I sit in silence, and I am trying really hard to come up with something to say.

"Why was I on the side of the road?" I finally ask Elliot after a second.

He shrugs, "Your answer is as good as mine…. You probably just pulled over and passed out…. Can't say I haven't done that in my wilder years. But it's still incredibly stupid and I don't know what I am going to fucking do with you anymore…. Our kids would be devastated if anything happened to you."

I nod, realizing he left himself out of that statement. "You're sending me to rehab?" I ask after a few more moments of silence.

"After everything that was said tonight," he begins, "I can see rehab will be the perfect situation. I just wish I knew what I was fighting earlier…."

"What you were fighting?" I question him.

"I really don't want to get into this after everything that has happened tonight…. I'm tired," he says, his emotions stirring like smoke in front of me, "But what Ana said was really fucking true…. If you had just come to me…. If you had just confided in me. I would have been there for you…. I love you and when someone hurts you, I hurt."

"I'm sorry," I tell him softly.

"But I get it….. I kept harping on you about being home more…. If I had just," he says, trying to hold back tears.

"No," I plead, "Don't do that El…."

"I've gotta go," he interrupts me, kissing me on the forehead, "The kids…. I've gotta watch the kids. I'll come get you in the morning and I'll show you the facility we decided on."

"Elliot," I plead with him. He completely ignores me and heads for the door.

"Goodnight Gen…. try to get some sleep…."

As he walks out and slams the door behind him, I can't help but think I've lost the two most important people in my life for a second time.

**Christian**

** Broken hearted doesn't even begin to describe my wife's state of being as she bolts out of Genevieve's hospital room. **Sitting in that room and listening to my wife lay her broken heart in front of Gen might be one of the hardest things I've ever had to witness. I can't believe Gen was so thoughtless, I can't believe she doesn't know how deeply Ana loves her. I love my brother and I love Mia, but I have never witnessed a relationship like Genevieve and Ana's.

Ana falls into my arms and cries into my shoulder, and I feel helpless. How the hell am I supposed to take the hurt away? How do I fix what is so obviously shattered? I look around me, pleading for some sort of intervention. I need something for Ana right now. When I see the signs for the maternity ward, a light bursts inside of me.

"Come with me," I whisper in Ana's ear.

She looks up at me with sad, curious eyes. "What?"

"Come with me," I repeat, kissing her on the lips.

"Where?" she sobs, wiping a few of her tears. I try to wipe the rest and help her up. I pull out my cell phone and call ahead, seeing if they'll let us do a scan of our babies tonight.

"You want to check on the babies?" Ana asks as we walk together to the maternity ward.

"You need a reminder, baby…. come on."

**Ana is on the table with the ultra sound up and running. **The doctor joins us and I tell her how we've had a rough night. This of course causes Ana to cry harder and the good doctor squeezes her hand affectionately.

"I am here tonight as your friend…. That has a fair amount of medical knowledge," Dr. Greene says as she takes over the operation of the ultra sound. I squeeze Ana's other side as she giggles through her tears.

"This really isn't necessary," Ana protests.

Dr. Greene shakes her head. "Of course it isn't necessary, but who says you always have to do things that are necessary."

She giggles some more, and I kiss her forehead, relishing in the sound of her laughter. The babies appear on the screen and my heart stops. When I hear the double heart beats, the tension in my body fades.

"You have two healthy babies, Mrs. Grey," Dr. Greene says with a smile.

"See baby," I whisper in Ana's ear, "Even when you're hurting for Gen…. life moves on. Life continues…. We're going to be parents again and we have two beautiful healthy babies."

She lets out a strangled sob. I hold to Ana tighter and she curls into me. Dr. Greene examines the screen with a smile.

"Those look like boy and girl twins…."

Ana gasps, "Can you tell already?"

She nods, "That's the boy part for sure." I have the perfect father/son joke ready in my head, but Ana smacks me before I can say a word. "And if that's the boy part…. Then it seems that your other baby doesn't have a boy part…"

"We're getting one of each?" Ana asks.

Dr. Greene nods with a smile, "It seems so…. and look, they're holding hands."

"My babies are holding hands?" Ana practically shrieks.

Dr. Greene is beaming. She is never like this in our regular appointments, she must only be happy after hours. "It looks like it."

"I want a picture," Ana demands, "We forgot to get one for our five year old…. She asked yesterday in a very Christian Grey like manor…."

We all laugh and I can't hide my pride. "Of course, I'll be right back…."

Dr. Greene exits the room and we both stare at the screen in front of us. I kiss Ana's forehead a few more times and she takes a deep breath.

"I need to be strong," Ana says resolute, "For them…."

"You are already strong baby," I tell her, "You just needed to be reminded…."

"What the hell are we going to do about my sister?" she says, her voice shaky, "This is so much worse than I ever thought…. I had no idea that Dad could do something like this…."

"She'll go to rehab and you are going to show her how much you love her..…" I tell her, "You were right. Who gives a fuck that some other woman gave birth to her. You were her mother, you helped her grow up, and you did everything for her. You show that you love her, but she needs to figure this out for herself."

Ana takes in a deep breath, "I need to be strong for them…."

I kiss her, and hold her close. "You were always strong. You just needed a reminder."

**A/N – Moving right along! I hope you enjoyed it! Oh hey, please review. I'd really appreciate your thoughts! Thanks! **


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